Category: Reviews

Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: Pretenders By Lisi Harrison

Veronica Porras (TTB)


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I obtained a ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

Three girls, two guys, five secret journals.

The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries…

I am leaking these because I’m tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren’t real.


We are pretenders.

Review:

The summary of the book got to me. I love those exposure type stories. When I saw the book was diary-style, I was even more excited because we don’t see a lot of those in YA. After I started reading the book, I was sadly… disappointed.

All five characters in the novel think like seventh graders and not freshman in high school. If all five students were a part of the Phoenix Five, they should have been smarter, different. I think back to when I was a freshman and I thought differently, or it could just be that students nowadays are going backwards instead of forwards. That honestly is a very scary thought.

Since this book was character-oriented let’s focus on them. Some characters I felt bad for, while others I just didn’t care for. Finding out at the end of the novel that this will be a series was another turn off. The story built up and we never got a resolution, all we got was a “keep reading to find out.”

I’ve read other work by Lisi Harrison like The Clique series and her middle schoolers in that series are smarter than these freshman. This book had so much potential. At least it kept my attention until the end. That’s saying something.

Overall, Pretenders could have been something big. It could have been the next Pretty Little Liars. It had potential to get a TV show made out of it. One thing I did love is that the writing went with each character. The way each journal entry was written, the grammar, the style, it all matched the character. I applaud Ms. Harrison for that. Thank you for giving each character a distinct voice.

Rating: 2.5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My Initial Thoughts:

I went into this book blindly. It was on the Kindle Daily Deals and I decided… why not? So I bought it for a couple bucks and decided to read it. I love it when blind purchases turn out great!

Review:

Oh My Gosh. This book was absolutely amazing. Some people hate that it is marketed as the next Hunger Games, but honestly, I don’t care. In my head it’s the love child of Divergent and The Hunger Games. Just think Dauntless, Erudite, and the actual Hunger Games. Crazy right?

We start of with Cia on her graduation day where she goes from being labeled a child into actual adulthood and she can be a candidate for The Testing. The government chooses the candidates for The Testing, and only the brightest are chosen. The Testing is a test which determines if you are able to go to University and therefore become a future leader of the United Commonwealth.

After Cia’s graduation everything unravels and her world is turned upside down. The Testing is not what she thought it was. Her father who is a alumnus of the University advices her not to trust anyone and to try to survive the tests.

The rest of the book has you on the edge of your seat. Who is a friend and who is a foe? Who can be trusted and who is a Judas? The author did a very good job at weaving the story and creating it in a way that we aren’t bored. It may be dystopian and we may have seen some of the plot before but the way it was written, she made the plot look fresh, new, and that is what good writing is all about.

I recommend this book and advice you to read it!

The sequel, Independent Study, comes out today, January 7, 2013. Go to your local bookstore and grab the first two books. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, ya contemporary

ARC Book Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Thank you to Balzer + Bray for proving me a arc copy through Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who’s always done what she’s supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Review:

The beginning of the novel is hilarious. It sets the tone for the rest novel, although there are some parts in the book that weren’t my favorite, hence the 3.5 out of 5 rating.

The chemistry between Wren and Grayson is phenomenal. They are the reason I pushed myself to finish this book. The writing was good. In its entirety, The Promise of Amazing is not a bad book, but like I said, it fell short.

I really did not get the whole Amsterdam trip and the importance of it to Luke. Seriously. Every time Luke or Grayson’s other buddies appear, I would cringe and speed read the following pages where they were involved. I wish we would have seen more  the backstory of Grayson’s parent divorce and the importance of The Camelot to Wren’s family. This novel had so much promise, but it fell short from being amazing.

I still suggest you guys read the book. It’s not a bad book. There were several parts a throughly enjoyed and Wren and Grayson totally make up for it. 🙂

Also, I just loved Wren’s friends. I just wish we got to know them more. They were a hoot when they were on the page.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special Review, YA Thriller

Book Review: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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I received a ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review

Goodreads Summary:

The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right 

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy’s help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.
The Twisted Window is a zigzagging thriller that keeps readers guessing up until the final page. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Duncan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection

Review:

When I saw this book on NetGalley I was super excited because I remember reading books by Lois Duncan in middle school and high school. I had even read this book about 8 years ago, and I remember loving it. I decided to take this opportunity and re-read it. Boy, was I in for some blasts from the past.

The re-marketing of this book was to make it more relevant to present times, which is why we have a cover change, and a few lines were added to the book to make it more in with nowadays. First thing I will be commenting on are the few cellphone references that appeared here and there, which overall made the novel feel weird. The novel was like a blast from the 80s from the way they talked, the way teenagers acted, and references that were mentioned through the novel, and those additional cellphone references were out of place. They didn’t belong in the story.

Now, onto the plt. I was actually a little disappointed in myself. I remember loving this novel when I was so young but now… it didn’t have the same appeal and made me second guess my love not only for this novel, but other Lois Duncan novels too. The suspense was ok, but I was so preoccupied with how Tracy was behaving and her logic behind things that I was just baffled by it all.

Overall, the novel is creepy, but not something I would read anymore. It isn’t the worse novel I’ve read, but it also isn’t the  best.

Rating : 3/5

Reviews, ya contemporary

Book Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

My Initial Thoughts:

I loved Catching Jordan, I hated Stealing Parker, and I liked Things We Can’t Forget. In my head, I didn’t know if I would love this book or hate it. What did perk me up was the whole ranching side and racing horses aspect of the story. That intrigued me, but apart from that, I really didn’t know what my reaction to this book would be.

Review:

I am going to be absolutely honest with you… I LOVED THIS BOOK. I fangirled throughout the whole entire book. I love the way Miranda Kenneally develops her characters, how we can see them grow. I love that this book takes place several years after the first book, Catching Jordan, and we are able to see what has happened to our favorite characters in the past 4 years.

The romance in this novel is believable. Jack, that lovable bastard, is it just me or did he remind you of Adrian Ivashkov a little? Anyone? Maybe just me, but man I loved him as a character. He has his faults, several at the beginning, but he sees his wrongs and changes. That’s why I love him. 

Savannah was also a character I enjoyed because she didn’t let a guy define her. She one knew her worth and did not lower herself to please a guy in a way that degrades her. We need more girl characters in YA that know their self-worth and fight for their life instead of letting a guy fix all of their problems.

Overall, I recommend this book. It is a quick read that will have you gushing and screaming of joy. I can’t wait for Breathe, Annie, Breathe which is Ms. Kenneally’s next novel.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Mystery

Book Review: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

My Initial Thoughts:

I’d read one of Ms. Barnes books before and I liked it….a lot! It wasn’t a murder mystery like this one, but it had to deal with spies and government operatives. I’m a sucker for those stories.

Review:

Now, let’s talk about The Naturals. I really like this book. The main character, Cassie, is very observant, or what the FBI would call a profiler only she doesn’t know it until she gets the attention of the FBI one day. She knew she was different because she never fit in wherever she was. Cassie gets recruited into the The Naturals program, where other teenagers also have a natural ability whether it is to tell if someone is lying, what their emotions are, or how to profile people.

When Cassie gets to the program, she meets what I call the “Fantastic Four”, soon to become the “Fantastic Five”. Each teenager has one specific talent: Lia can lie like nobody’s business and also detect lies, Michael can read emotions off a person and has a very good poker face, Sloane sees the world through a mathematical point of view and can hack any government program or database, and Dean is a profiler, just like her.

The “romance” in the story takes the back burner throughout the whole book, and sometimes its hard to pick up the subtle hints here and there. Some of you may be Team Dean or Team Michael, but what I loved the most was the case and how all five of them even though they are messed up, can do good in the world one case at a time. It’s like a teenage Bones/CSI crossover. I love it!

Ms. Barnes has a PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science, and her knowledge is sprinkled throughout the book. I absolutely love it when authors add their area of expertise to their novels. It takes the books up another notch!

Rating: 4.5/5

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Reviews, ya contemporary

Book Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

My Initial Thoughts:

At first I thought… a book about a girl that is suicidal?! I didn’t want to read it, but the whole DJ thing intrigued me cause I LOVE music. Then Kayla was like read it for me first and I was like OKAY! 🙂

Review:

You can say I read this book in two parts. I read the first half about 3 weeks ago and the other half tonight, and it was a good idea. Why? I coincidently stopped reading right before it all went down in the story. Anyways, let’s get down to business.

The main character, Elise, is not your typical suicidal girl. She is not craving attention. She just wants someone to see her and not just ignore her. I think we can all relate to her. We have all felt invisible at some point in our lives. What struck a chord in me were her habits and ways of dealing with life (not her suicidal tendencies, but how she dealt with life after her attempt).

My second year of college was a hard one. I was tired but wired a lot of the time. At night I would walk around campus, past midnight, trying to tire myself out so that I could sleep a few hours. I would put on my headphones and try to forget the world around me. Elise and I are so similar in that way because she would do the exact same thing to tire herself out, it was weird. I was like… how does the author know this I did?! I didn’t come across a underground party, or learn to DJ, but it was surreal to see a little of myself in Elise.

This story is so powerful because it shows us that this life is worth living. Yes, this world may suck at times (or a lot of the times) and we may not be happy with the cards life gave us, but we can make the best of it. The main message of this book is “Do not settle on being ordinary, be extraordinary”. We can all do that in our own individual ways if we try.

I really wish we got to see more of Henry though. That’s my only complaint. 🙂

Rating : 5/5

Special Review, YA Paranormal

ARC Book Review: Waterfell by Amalie Howard

Veronica Porras (TTB)

1113-9780373211050-bigwI was kind of to receive a copy from Harlequin Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date:

October 29,2013

Goodreads Summary:

THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright—the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon—until her father’s betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa’s upcoming birthday—the day she comes of age.

Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa’s mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

My Initial Thoughts:

I requested Waterfell on NetGalley because I thought it was about mermaids. Mermaid books and I don’t get along, but I wanted to give them one more chance. To my surprise this ended up not being about mermaids…

Review:

I have very mixed feelings about the book. I like it and at the same time I am not satisfied with it. Let me explain. I think the concept is good, the plot is good, I just have a few issues with some of the main characters. Let’s start with Nerissa. She seems very selfish and while she has her good moments, she seems to me like the royal brat she was raised as. Jenna and Sawyer were my favorite characters to be honest and they aren’t even the main characters. Lo was too cocky and a bit of  a jerk. Some of that may make characters lovable, but it was a little over the top when it came to Lo.

I did like that a lot of the book was very fast paced and that it was full of action. The only downfall is that I was being bombarded with information every few pages that it was hard to keep up with it some of the time. Another thing is that I cannot picture how Nerissa’s species looks. In my head they are just gigantic colorful snakes…

Overall, I like Waterfell and it intrigued me enough to want to read the next book in the series which comes out in 2014. I want to see the growth that Lo and Nerissa go through as they have to adapt to their new life and what happens now that Nerissa is queen.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special Review, YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal

Blog Book Review Tour: Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Blurb

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18684843-sanctuary?ac=1

http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Pauline-Creeden/dp/1491072067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385951078&sr=8-1&keywords=Sanctuary+creeden

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary is scheduled for release September 30, 2013, and has already been nominated for two awards in YA Science Fiction.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group.

https://twitter.com/P_Creeden

https://www.facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

http://paulinecreeden.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5284782.Pauline_Creeden

Review

First of all, if you like scary books about alien invasions, this is your type of book! I was so scared when I was reading it that I opted to read it in the morning and not at night. It took me a while to sleep the first night I read a few chapters. I kept imagining the aliens described in the book and trust me my imagination did a wonderful job at creating them.

Sanctuary is written in several POV’s which helps the reader understand what is going on through different parts of the country. It also helps us see how all the characters came together and were able to find temporary safety. At first I thought Jennie was cowardly, but as I read on the story, I noticed how brave she really was and coming out strong after everything that she experienced is awe-inspiring. I also enjoyed Hugh’s POV.

The attacks of the aliens, the science behind the alien animals, and the bible passages made it real in the sense that as you’re reading the story, you feel as if you’re in that world experiencing the attack, fearing for your own life. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of alien invasions and The Walking Dead. This is one sic fi thrill you won’t want to miss.

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NA Romance, Reviews

Book Review: Flat Out Love by Jessica Park

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.

So, that was Matt. Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot. But there is also Finn. Who she flat out loves.

Complicated? Awkward? Completely.

But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother’s? This was all supposed to be temporary. Julie wasn’t supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers. Especially the one she’s never quite met. But what does that really matter? Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.

But here’s the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves. And no one ever escapes unscathed.

My Initial Thoughts:

The first time I heard about Flat Out Love was through Kayla (thethousandlives). Before that I had only heard of Park’s other novel Left Drowning which a lot of bloggers were saying was depressing. I was hoping Flat Out Love would be more lighthearted. I was also nervous because her previous novels were NA and I wanted a book without the naughty bits.

 Review:

The story starts of with the main character stranded in Boston. We learn that she had been cheated off by someone posing as a landlord who was renting apartments to college students, but in reality the address led to a burger joint. No apartment complex in sight. No landlord. No Money.

After Julie calls her mom the situation is fixed when her mom’s college roommate happens to live in Boston and her mom arranges for her to stay at her house for the time being. In comes Matt, the son of her mom’s college roommate.

They story progresses as Julies meets the quirky family whose son Finn is out exploring the world, leaving the youngest, Celeste, in shams picking up after the pieces his departure left in their lives.

Flat Out Love was written in three parts, which helps the reader pinpoint the importance of each occurrence and the consequences of Julie’s and Matt’s actions. What surprised me the most is that the book is a self-published book, through Amazon’s publisher. All I can say is that Ms. Park created such a unique story one that I’ve never read before and that is saying something. Many know me as the YA Contemporary guru, since I’ve read a lot of contemporary novels throughout my lifetime. This makes book shopping hard with me, as Kayla discovered, because every suggestion is followed by a, “Oh, I’ve already read that”. This novel is something new, something fresh in the YA Contemp genre. It will break your heart and at the same time it will make it soar in the clouds with the many adorable moments. Think of it as the baby of Ana and the French Kiss and Second Chance Summer.

I wish I could read this book again. It has been a while since I’ve read a book that has me giggling, gasping, making me tear up, and jump of joy! The themes in the novel, mental health, grief, love, friendships, family, are all very well written and executed. Ms. Park brings some important issues to light in this book that should be discussed more instead of ignored by the masses.

I suggest you all give this book a try; it may sound like your average YA Contemp novel but it isn’t. Trust me on this one.

Rating: 5/5