Seventeenth Summer

Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

Pages: 340
A summer to remember. . .
Angie always thought high school romances were just silly infatuations that come and go. She certainly never thought she wuold fall in love over one short summer. But when she meets Jack, their connection is more than a crush. Suddenly Angie and Jack are filling their summer with stolen moments and romantic nights. But as fall grows closer, they must figure out if their love is forever, or just a summer they'll never forget.

I was given some advice from a friend to shorten my reviews. She told me I didn't need to re-explain the summary of the book, so I'm not going to this time. I'm going to try something new!

I've just been dying to read this book for months and finally picked it up at B&N the other day. I'm realy glad I did too. When I was reading the book, there were little things that stuck out to me and I thought they were a little odd. I just didn't expect those things to happen in today's society. So, I looked at the copyright page and it said that Maureen Daly wrote this book in 1942 while she was in college! Then it made a lot more sense of how the characters acted and their feelings, and just descriptions of their house, clothes, and the town. This was a really great book because of the fact that it was written and takes place in the 1940's.

Angie is seventeen and has just graduated from high school. In the fall she is going to college, but in the mean time she has all summer to relax. And that's when she meets Jack. I just love their  first little date out on Jack's boat. It was sweet and romantic! I just wish the author had incorperated the boat into the story more often than she did. That was the only time they went out on it, and that was sort of dissapointing. I love Angie as a character though. She was sweet and innocent. She is a shy girl and not used to dating or boys in general. Sometimes she could be self-concious and she really cared about what Jack thought of her. One of the things I really liked about her was that she always had her mom's approval before she did anything. She was a very responsible character.

Jack was a great character too. He was a charming boy that all the girls wanted to date, but he wasn't anything like a player. He was very aware of Angie's feelings and he respected her. Jack was pretty smooth and relaxed with Angie and his friends, but everytime he was around Angie's family he became shy and nervous and clumsy. It was quite cute! One thing I thought was odd though, was that Angie never went to his house or met his parents. Maybe that was just the way it was back then, I don't know.

The ending was a little dissapointing for me. I think I am used to big fairy-tale endings and I expected a turn of events and for the two of them to do something rash and sudden. Though nothing spectacular happened, it was a good way to end the book. It wrapped things up nicely and is was a very appropiate ending for this book.

Overall I think this is just a really adorable love story that everyone should read. It can be very interesting at times to think and learn about some of the rules about "going steady" with someone, and the fact that even after graduating high school Angie's parents thought she was too young to see Jack.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Follow Friday (5) & Blog Hop (4)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View. Anyone can participate. To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow the rules up on Parajunkee's website!

This week's question is: Keeping with the dystopian and apocalyse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were  stocking your bomb  shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

This is a tough question! I have to think about this one for a while.....

...........

.........

Okay, I got it!

•  The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins (5)
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (3)
• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
• Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

 If only we could bring 15 books with us, I'd bring The Christy Miller Collection with me! I just couldn't decide! Well, I just hope that I never have to choose only 10 books! Somehow I'd find a way to squeeze those books in with me. What are the ten books you would pick? You can tell me in the comment box, or leave the link to your webpage. This was a tough question, I'd love to read your answers!

Book Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. If you have a blog that does review books on it, you can participate! Check out her website for the other rules.

This week's HOP asks: Summer is coming quickly -- What 2011 Summer release are you most looking forward to this year?

  Well, I'm really looking forward to Sarah Dessen's new book, What Happened To Goodbye, but since that comes out in May and technically that isn't summer, I think I'm most looking forward to The Power Of Six by Pittacus Lore. I read I Am Number Four just days after it was released and it just blew me away! The movie didn't quite make my standards, but since Alex Petifer (excuse the spelling) played John, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. (;

The Power Of Six

I've seen him in the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world he's a mystery, but to me . . . he's one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us - if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There's six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our legacies are developing and soon we will be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four? And is his appearence the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers beyond anything I could ever imagine? The one who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio - and failed.
I am Numver Seven - one of six still alive.
And I am ready to fight.


Okay, this plot just sounds so amazing! I'm going to get the book the day it comes out and just devour it! And, bonus points for cover art! I just cannot wait for this book! Keep watch, August 23 it releases!
What book are you waiting for this summer?

Teaser Tuesday... Wednesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. It's a weekley bookish meme. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I didn't have access to my computer yesterday and couldn't post! So, it's Wednesday, but here's my teaser:

"We just sit and watch the sky and the big yellow summer moon. Swede mostly just thinks about girls when he's out here, but I like to think about clouds and God and things."

~Jack

Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

Page: 17

Waiting On Wednesday (5)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine to showcase upcoming releases that you are just dying to read!

This week I'm picking: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkinds. She is the author of Anna and the French Kiss which I haven't had a chance to read yet, but is on my TBR list. I can't wait to read it! Once I get off my book buying ban, I'm marching to Barnes and Noble and that book will be in my hands when I walk out the door! Well, here it is!

 

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

 

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 

 

-Sounds amazing right? Can't wait to read it!

Everlost

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

Pages: 313
NICK AND ALLIE DON'T SURVIVE THE CAR ACCIDENT . . .
. . . but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to go either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living owrld, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.
When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home, but Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into a dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

I really enjoyed this book. It's unique and I've never thought before of a place between Heaven and Hell. Maybe ghosts, or Afterlights, really do exist...

Nick's car crashes into Allie's car and neither one of them is wearing a seatbelt. They are hurtled out of the car and heading towards the light, but when they bump into each other, it throws them off course. Nine months later, they wake up in a forest where a little boy they call Leif, welcomes them to Everlost. When they cross into Everlost though, they look exactly how they looked when they died. So Nick has chocolate smeared on his face from the chocolate bar he was eating. Allie is not content though, and is determined to see if her father survived the crash and how her family is. So, the three of them set off. But instead of Allie's house, they wind up at the Twin Towers. They crossed over into Everlost  and now a girl called Mary and about 230 kids live there. Mary is watching over them and she believes she knows all there is to know about Everlost. Nick is in love, Lief is mesmerized by Pac Man, but Allie is suspicious. She thinks Mary is hiding something, so she tries to learn the skill of haunting, which Mary pretty much outlaws. She drags Nick and Leif with her. When things go terribly wrong and they are faced with the McGill, they will have to fight to survive... escape.

This book was riveting and marvelous. I just can't get over it! It's absolutely amazing how smart Allie is and how manipulative she is. She is cunning and just adds so much color into this story. The main characters of the story are Allie and Nick, but I liked Allie more. And not just because she is a girl. She is the brains of the whole opperation until the very end.

I absolutely loved the ending of this book. The fight of the McGill, the McGill's secret, Mary's secret, just how the book unravels. It was spectacular! I love Allie's decision and what she plans to do with her life. It was a pretty brave decision and I think she and one of the other characters are falling in love. My favorite character's ending was Nick's though. He discovers a secret greater than life itself. He plans on spreading the word... but someone is trying to stop him. The epilouge, though short, was epic.

I would recomend this book to everyone. I don't think there is anyone out there who wouldn't enjoy this book! Add to TBR lists!

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

Fallen

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Pages: 452
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school is Savannah. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screwups, and security cameras watch every move.
Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce - he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dnagerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

This book took me a long time to finish, although I don't think it's because it wasn't interesting, it was because of my busy schedule. It did take some time for me to get into the book and really want to finish it and find out what's going to happen. I was pleasently surprised with the outcome of this book.

Lucinda Price, Luce, is a seventeen-year-old girl with a tragic past. When her boyfriend Trevor dies and she is blamed for his death, she is sent to Sword & Cross. It's a reform school for kids who have messed up in the past. Luce only gets one phone call a week and she has to attend boring classes. On her first day she meets Arriane who shows her around Sword & Cross, she meets Daniel Grigori who flips her off, and she has a disastorous encounter in the cafeteria with some meatloaf and a horrid girl named Molly. Things don't start off well for Luce, but things can only get better right? She is drawn to Daniel in a mysterious way and he seems oddly familiar, but she can't figure out why. Luce meets Penn, who has inside links to the school, and together they start to track down Daniel's past. But, there is very little to find about Daniel. It's all a secret. And Luce is determined to figure it out. But, who can she trust?

Usually I focus on the main character in books, but this time I'm going to focus on Daniel. Even though the book is about Luce, it's just as much about Daniel. Daniel is dreamy and sexy and just seems totally irresistable. Better than Edward Cullen? I think so. Daniel is definately a character I would meet in person if he were real. I'm going to mention some spoilers next, so if you'ev read the book and want to know what I think, or you don't care if I spoil it a little bit for you, highlight the text after this:  His love is so deep and beautiful, and I love how he waits seventeen years at a time just to get a few months with Luce. He is so devoted to her and it's just beautiful. I really loved briefly hearing about all the times they were together: dancing at the ball, climbing into her castle, carrying her through Jerusalem, and  I find it hilarious (but not very surprising) that Daniel was a monk in Tibet!

This book was haunting and mysterious and so fascinating. I've been told to read this book so many times and now I can't believe it took me this long to read it! I absolutely love the outcome of this book, especially the epilouge! The ending has such a huge twist! It was so surprising and enticing and I can't wait to read the sequel. If you've never read this book, you need to add it to your TBR list.

*On a side note, I know I posted that I'd have this review up on Monday, but I found some spare time today to finish the book! I'm sorry it took so long for this review!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Blogging

To all my followers and my fellow bloggers. First off, I just want to apologize. I have not been blogging all week and I'm sorry. I've just been swamped! I'm studying like crazy for ECA's and final exams and since it's the end of the year teachers are just dumping loads of homework on us! On top of all that I've got driver's ed and other after school activites with yearbook and memorizing my lines as Juliet in the play I'm staring in. Unfortunately, that means I haven't been able to blog and read hardly at all this week.

Tomorrow I'm participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine with my youthgroup! We have raised I'm pretty sure, $5,000 for children in Haiti! I'm so excited(: We will be fasting all tomorrow and on Saturday and we will be helping out around the community. That means I won't be reading all day. Then I've got busy plans for Easter! There won't be any posts the rest of the weekend, and I'm sorry there haven't been any this week. I promise I will have my next book review of Fallen up on Monday!

Thanks!
-Katie

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. This week (today) I got some great books that I just can't wait to read!
I bought:

Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Shine by Lauren Myracle

*I am so excited to read all of these books! I've been wanting Seventeenth Summer for sooo long and I finally was able to buy it! And This World We Live In is just such an awesome book! I read it when it was first released and I wanted to buy it, but the first two I already had were paperback and I wanted the series to all be the same so I waited to buy it until today. And when I was browsing I saw Shine and it just sounded enticing! I couldn't resist.

What great books did you get this week?

Other People's Heroes

Other People's Heroes by Blake M. Petit

E-Book

Josh Corwood has spent his life admiring the superheroes that protect Siegel City. He's wanted to join them, wanted to be like them... but eventually, had to settle for reporting on them from the sidelines. When an undiscovered talent reignites his hope to join the world's protectors, he suddenly discovers that their world isn't everything he'd been led to believe. Surrounded by false idols, Josh decides to turn the tables on them and reveal the greatest con game in history... and hopefully, in the process, find the real heroes that have long been gone.
For me, this book took a little time to get into. It was a little slow at first and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but about a fourth of the way through the book things started to heat up! Once I got through the begining, I couldn't put this book down.

Josh Corwood is a young reporter in Sigel City. He loves to write about the superheroes that protect the city, and he's wanted to be one since the day Lionheart rescued him. Then one day, he is around a few superheroes, and strange things start to happen. He realizes that he has a super power! He wants to stop the villans and sets out alone to try and stop the sinister Miss Sinastah. But, does it work? No. Josh is taken to the superheroe's headquarters and is given the opportunity to join the team and be a super hero. But, there is a secret behind all the superheroes and Josh plans to reveal it. But, he needs a little more time "fighting crime," a little more research, and getting closer to the beautiful Miss Sinastah, for him to write the best story. And then he has to find the guts to print it to the public. But, with a twist to the story, Josh is framed against an awful set of trageties, and he has to prove his innocence.. He has to decide which is more important: following the rules, or doing what is right.

Josh Corwood was a peculiar character. He wanted revenge on the superhero headquarters, but then changed his mind. And he was very protective of Miss Sinastah. He was very mindful of her feelings. I really liked that. He also wanted to prove himself. He wanted so badly to be like Lionheart and to be a real superhero and help people, even if it went against what the leader said.

The ending "fight scene" might have gone on a little too long in my opinion, but I was expecting it. It's a superhero book! There has to be some action! Another thing is that there are tons of characters in this book. At times it could be a little confusing trying to remember who was good and who was bad and what peoples' real names were and what their superhero names were. At some points in the book I was confused, but in the end I understood what was going on.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't think I was expecting to love it as much as I did. I'm not a huge superhero fan, but I thought it would be nice to read something different. And I'm sure glad I did. This is a fun, exiting and thrilling, fast-pace read that will make just about every reader happy.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Follow Friday (4) & Blog Hop (3)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week's question is: Do you have anyone you can discuss books with in real life? If so, tell us about him/her.

My Answer: Well, I pretty much tell anyone who will listen about the books I'm reading or love to read! And people come to me all the time for great book suggestions. I think there is a tie between who I discuss books with the most. Number 1. is my friend Sydney. We talk at school, at youth group, at sleepovers, anytime we are together! The second person I discuss books with is my friend Kaehli. She is awesome and we swap books and discuss series all the time. Every other day in English (I have block scheduling) we have new books that we tell each other all about. (:

*Also, I would just like to say that the comment in Around The Corner's post about the "steamy sex scenes" was something I didn't need to know that you loved. I'm not a fan of erotic books.

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. This week's HOP says: Pick a character from a book you are reading or recently finished and tell us about him/her.

My Answer: Right now I'm reading the book Fallen by Lauren Kate. I haven't had any time to read these last couple days so I'm not very far yet /: But, from what I can tell, the main character Luce has a very interesting friend. Her name is Arianne. She has to wear a special wristband because she is under high security because of what she did in the past. She seems like a compulsive liar, she loves to get her way, and she thinks Luce is her pet slave. She likes to take charge and isn't afraid to throw a couple punches even if it means the wrist band will pretty much electrocute her. She is outgoing and I think she is really smart. She watches her back and looks out for herself. She also likes to break the rules! She can be serious, but at the same time very funny. I don't know what happened to get her sent to Sword & Cross, but I'm sure she is hiding a huge secret. I really love this character, she just brings so much life to the story!

Friday Finatic (7)

Happy Friday Everybody! Every Friday I just like to post some pretty pictures(: I have had such a long and insane week! I'm so excited for the weekend! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend (:

Waiting On Wednesday (4)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking The Spine to showcase upcoming books we are excited to read. This week I'm picking The Pledge bye

Words are the most dangerous weapon of all.

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime

Doesn't this book sound amazing?! I'm soo excited to read this.  It sounds so exciting and thrilling. It is  expected to come out on November 15, 2011.

Chasing AllieCat

Chasing AllieCat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

Pages: 277

Dumped with relatives in a small Minnesota town for the summer, Sadie Lester is relying on her mountain bike to save her from total boredom. Then she meets Allie, a spiky-haired off-road mountain biker who's training for a major race. Allie leads Sadie and Joe, a cute fellow cyclist, up and down Mount Kato, and the three become close friends. But the exhilirating rush comes to a hault when they find a priest in the woods, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie disappears from their lives.
As they search for Allie and try to find out why she left so suddenly, Sadie and Joe discover more about Allie's past, including her connection to the priest. Only on the day of the big race does Sadie finally learn the complete, startling truth about Alie -- and the terrible secret that forced her into hiding.

This plot was so intriguing. It just pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. This book was 277 pages of pure magic. I mean, I'm just stunned. The prologue was epic, and after reading the first sentence of the first chapter, I knew I was going to love this book.

In Chasing AllieCat, Sadie's parents are in Egypt for the summer, and she and her younger brother are staying with her aunt and uncle in a small house full of kids. As she's riding around town and in the woods on her mountain bike, Sadie meets Allie: a sixteen-year-old girl who is 150% muscle with white spiky hair, lots of piercings, and a mountain bike finatic. After a few days, Sadie learns that a distant relative will also be joining them. Joe. He is a smoker and a mountain biker. Sadie is instantly drawn to him. He is cute, yet there is something about him that he isn't telling Sadie. When Allie signs all of them up for a race, they start training. But, one day while they are training, Joe falls and practically lands on top of a body. When Allie recognizes the body, and the fact that the man isn't quite dead, Allie leaves to call the cops. And she never returns. Sadie and Joe have to find Allie to make sure she's safe. And in doing so, they will uncover the deepest secrets of Allie's past, putting them all in danger.

I don't know which character I liked better. Sadie or Allie. Sadie was sweet and caring for everyong around her with a passion for mountain biking, but if it weren't for Allie she wouldn't have had the courage to continue. Allie was so strong and brave and I can only dream of being that courageous.

Overall, this is one of my favorite books, there's no doubt about it. The plot was so suspensful that my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth. My heart was pounding and I thought that with every turn of the page something was about to happen. If you've never read Chasing AllieCat, add it to your TBR lists!

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

Top Ten: Books to Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is: the top ten books you'd like to see made into movies. Here is my Top Ten:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I know it's being made into a movie, but I've loved this book since the day it came out. It's my all-time favorite book hands-down and I hope they don't ruin it in the movie.

2. The Kinfe of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I love this book. It's full of adventure and suspense and action. It would make for an awesome movie.

3. The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti. This is my favorite book by her. I love the story line, and it really interacts with the elephants! I love elephants (: I think this would be an exellent movie to see in theaters. Bo is also a really cute little kid!

4. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It takes place in Germany during WW2 and you don't often see a regular citizen's point of view on this - especially a young girl's view. I loved the book and would love to see the character's relationships and struggles on screen.

5. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. This would make for an epic movie. It's creepy and suspensful and just full-out intense. The sequal Sapphique would make for an epic movie too!

6. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I think it's safe to say that this is my all-time favorite book by Sarah Dessen. (Lock and Key is a close second!) I just absolutely love the story. It's beautiful! Now that I'm writing this, I really want to read it again. Keep watch for the review of it! Honestly, I'd like to see all of Sarah Dessen's books turned into movies! So that's like, what? 9 books? I think What Happened To Goodbye will be her tenth!

7. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. This is such a beautiful book telling a story that needs to be heard. Making it a movie would spread the word to so many more people! If you haven't read this book, go pick up a copy!
8. Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn. These books would be difficult to make into a movie because they span out over like eight years. I would love to see Christy and Todd's relationship though on screen and all the fun Christy and her friends have. Especially the book in Hawaii!

9. Life As We Knew It by Susan B. Pfeffer. I love this trilogy. It's when the moon is knocked closer in orbit to Earth, so everything (and everyone) goes crazy! This would be an epic series to be turned into a movie. When the movie Life As We Knew It that just came out about the two people raising kids, I hadn't seen the trailer and people just said the name and I have to admit I did the happy dance because I thought this book was being turned into a movie. /: I was dissapointed.

10. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I loved this book! I haven't had a chance to read the sequal (Where She Went), but this book was easily one of my favorites. I would see this movie at midnight!

What are some books that you'd like to see turned into movies?

Musing Monday (2)

Musing Monday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.This week's musing asks. . . If you are a mood reader, what (genre) do your moods call you to read?

My Answer:
Usually I want to jump right into a romance novel because usually they have happy endings and I like to read those. I love reading about the character's relationship and how the other person can really help them through a hard time, or just being there for them in general.  <3

The other choice would be a sci-fi book like The Hunger Games. I've picked up that book and just read it because it's intense and suspensful (even though I know what is going to happen) and I just love to jump into another world! I can escape my own world and join someone elses.

Stay

Stay by Deb Caletti

Pages: 213
Some secrets are strong enough to pull you under . . .
Everything had changed, and everything would stay changed because that's what happens when the fear gets in.
Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she's ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is -- and what he's willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city -- and Christian -- behind. No one back home knows where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough . . .

I was nervous when I bought this book because with Deb Caletti I either hate the book, or I just love it. I've never really found a middle yet. And I'm very proud to say that I loved this book -- every word of it.

The story starts out with the first time Clara meets Christian. Then, in the second chapter, it switches to the present tense which is over a year later. The third chapter continues the relationship with Christian in the past, filling in small details, until the next chapter showing her life in the present. It is an odd angle that wouldn't work in a lot of books, but Caletti manages to balance it out perfectly. So, after her terrible relationship with Christian, Clara and her father move out to a small town in Washington to hide for the summer. And that's where she meets Finn. Finn and his brother Jack own a boat named Obsession which they take tourists out on for money. Finn is the exact opposite of Christian. He is layed-back and easy going, able to joke around, and comfortable and confident with himself. After the treacherous relationship with Christian, Clara needs that. Clara finally starts to feel safe with Finn, and her world comes crashing to a stop. Christian calls her cell phone - after she changed the number and didn't tell anyone. Her fears of Christian finding her are growing, and to top it off, her dad is falling in love again and Clara is uncovering a hidden secret about her mom's death.

 I just absolutely love Deb Caletti's books for their similes and metaphors. They complete the book and give you a whole different perspective on things. They are so unique and they constant throughout the book, but not so constant that they get in the way of the actual story.

Clara is a wonderful character too. She is small and frightened and not 100% confident in herself and she is always afraid Christian will come back. At some points in the book she seems as fragile as a little girl. It was beautiful watching her grow strong again and gain back that strength and confidence in herself.

 I highly recomend everyone to read this book. I really touched my heart and it's a very good book to read about how you should feel in a relationship and when you need to get out. I just loved it!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Starry Sky Books

I just want to give a special thanks to Chelsey at Starry Sky Books. You are so nice and awesome and I love your blog! You gave me some really great blogging tips and you were really helpful. Thanks for everything!

To my readers: If you have not been to Starry Sky Books, check out this blog! It's a great blog owned by a great girl. Let's spread the kindess and follow her. I know you will love her blog just as much as I do!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme/feature hosted by The Story Siren.

This week I bought:

 Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Stay by Deb Caletti

Up For Review:

Other People's Heros by Blake M. Petit

Gifts From Aryn & Kaehli:

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

What great books did you get this week?



Friday Finatic (6)

Friday Finatic is just a little post I like to post every Friday that is just pictures. I hope you enjoy them! And have a fantastic Friday & weekend!

Follow Friday (3)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View, and this week's blog is My Keeper Bookshelf. The question for this Follow Friday is: Do you judge a book by it's cover?

My Answer: Yes. Unfortunately yes. I know you grow up and that saying is pounded into your head: "Don't judge a book by it's cover!" But, I do. If a book has a hideous cover, sometimes I won't even pick it up. I'll just (gently) shove it back on the shelf. I have been surprised and loved some of the books I've read with bad titles, but sometimes I don't even give them the time of day. I know, shame on me!

The Vespertine

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Pages: 293

The summer of 1889 is the one between childhood and womanhood for Amelia van den Broek - and thankfully, she's not spending it at home in rural Maine. She's been sent to Baltimore to stay with her stylish cousin, Zora, who will show her al the pleasures of city life and help her find a suitable man to marry.
With diversions ranging  from archery in the park to dazzling balls and hints of forbidden romance, Victorian Baltimore is more exciting than Amelia imagined. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at susnset - visions that offer glimpsees of  the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. Newly dubbed "Main'es Own Mystic," Amelia is suddenly quiet in demand.
However, her attraction to Nathaniel, an artist who is decidedly outside or Zora's circle, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own - still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly  drawn to him. And while she has no trouble seing the futures fo others, seh cannot predic whether Nathaniel will remain in hers.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia's world is thrown into chaos. And those around ehr begin to wonder if she's not the seer of dark portents, but the cause of them.

I was extatic to read this book, and my friend Aryn bought it for me and surprised me with it! The summary just seemed amazing and intriguing. I'm sorry to say I was horribly let down.

The book starts out sort of confusing. She is at her brother's house and he has locked her up. Then it goes back in time a few months to when she starts her life in Baltimore. It was really interesting to learn about the balls they atteneded, and how they courted and the way Nathaniel was being ungentlemanly by touching Amelia's hand. It made me laugh a few times. But, it soon grew boring. It wasn't until about one hundred pages in I think that she had her first vision, but nothing really grew from it. She didn't really do much about it. Then a couple times she went to people's houses and foretold their prophecies, but soon that grew boring too. It wasn't until the last like 40 pages that there was finally something exciting and interesting happening, and it still let me down. Nathaniel's secret was so strange and confusing, and I really hated the end. There is one tiny good thing about it, but overall it was lacking.

Amelia was a cute little character I have to say. The way she wanted to follow the rules, but in the end just never could  was funny. I also liked her reactions to Nathaniel. And sometimes, especially towards the end, the way people treated her was awful, so I was sort of rooting for her a little bit.

I think the story line and plot is good, I just don't think it was carried out in the best way. It was too slow for me and took me a while to finish it. Parts were confusing and the author just sort of assumed we knew what things were, but since I don't know much about the Victorian era, I got a little confused.

I think I might have expected too much out of this book. I had high hopes (maybe too high) and they were just crushed when I read it. I'm just overall really dissapointed. It wasn't anything like I imagined it to be.

Overall Rating: 1.5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them.
Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?
In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive

I know that it is Friday, but I have been swamped! Doesn't this book sound amazing? This is the sequal to Rot & Ruin. If you haven't had the chance to read it, you still have time to catch up on the series! Dust & Decay releases in August 2011. Keep your eyes open for it!