Tag: YA

Special Review, ya contemporary

ARC Review: Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Veronica Porras (TTB)

 

 

1379536238000-don-t-Even-think-about-itI was given an ebook copy through NetGalley by Random House via invitation for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

We weren’t always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn’t expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we’ve kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what’s coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We’re always listening.

Review:

This may be the shortest review I have ever written. We’ll see.

I have never DNF’ed a book. NEVER. Anyone can go through my reviews and see that I have read through all of them, even those that I disliked. My goal is to give my readers, authors, and publishers a fair review of a book. A honest review.

Originally, I was excited when I received an invitation to read this book. I’ve heard great things about Sarah and I was thrilled to finally read something by her. The plot of the story sounded very interesting which is why I said, YES, SIGN ME UP.

I tried reading it on three different occasions. I only reached about 10-15% of the story before I quit. Each time I started to read it, I couldn’t get a feel for the characters and the protagonist. There was just something that wasn’t clicking and even annoyed me. I feel absolutely horrible saying such negative things about this book, but I honestly couldn’t get past everything that annoyed me.

I try my best to read the entire book so that I can give both the good and the bad of a book. One of my goals is to always find something good about the book, even if the rating is a 1 or 2. I make it my mission to give reasons as to why I dislike a book if I do.

Today is a weird day on The Talking Bookworm because I can do neither. Here is my first DNF review and hopefully it will be my last.

Rating: DNF (Did Not Finish)

NA Romance, Reviews

Book Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Veronica Porras (TTB)

81rCityicgL._SL1500_

Goodreads Summary:

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

My Initial Thoughts:

All I knew was that Colleen Hoover is an author loved by many and that a few of my book tumblr friends were going crazy about it. So I bought it and thought to my self “My Body is Ready!”

Review:

tumblr_inline_ml88od3Tl81qz4rgp

Oh My Freaking Gosh. This Book. I just can’t. Dead.

Those are my fangirling thoughts of the book. Yes, it is as good as everyone says it is. Yes, it will leave you in a puddle of feels. Yes, it brings up a lot of issues that you are dealing with or makes you deal with them. This book is a music lovers dream come true.

First off, let me just say that I FREAKING loved that this was an interactive book and that every single one of the songs that was is in the book EXISTS. The songs were made especially for the BOOK. I have been spoiled and I want every book to be an interactive experience because it just made everything ten times better.

Secondly, two of the characters in the story had disabilities and they were not seen as less or inferior. They were portrayed as normal. NORMAL. I absolutely loved that Ms. Hoover addressed the fact that people who are deaf or that have any other disability are NORMAL. They are not different. They are human too. The social activist in me was just bursting with joy.

Third, I want to address the fact that the main female character, Sydney, is written as a strong female character. She finds out her boyfriend cheats on her and she breaks up with him and is all like GOODBYE WE AINT NEVAH EVAH GONNA BE TOGETHER AGAIN. When things get complicated between her and someone else (cough*my new secret lover*cough), she takes control of the situation and says BACK OFF I NEED SPACE and not only do we see a FEMALE character that says it, but we see a MALE character that LISTENS to what she wants.

applause2

Fourth, I want to say that I LOVED that this didn’t have sexy times (well except for that one scene towards the end, but it’s not really described soooo I don’t count it). Not everyone that is in college is having sex all the time or with a person they just met. I was so happy that this book was not “teens + lots of sex” like a lot of NA books out there that I shall not name. This was Young Adults in College + life issues = NA. THANK YOU COLLEEN HOOVER THANK YOU!

(Honestly, I have nothing against NA when it’s done right. I personally don’t like reading sexy times, but when people use the NA genre as an excuse to write a million sex scenes and hardly any plot lines, it pisses me off. Isn’t the erotica genre for that? Why do you have to go and RUIN a genre for me. Sigh. Okay, Rant over.)

(December 2022 Edit: Oh young naive little me in her early twenties that did not like reading about sexy times aka sex. This is hilarious to me now as someone who is married and in her early thirties. Totally okay with SMUT now but I will leave what I said above to keep the integrity of this review, and also to showcase that people can change and it is perfectly okay to do so as you grow older.)

The plot of the book was great. The plot lines were all believable. We had a ton of character development not just in the main characters, but in the secondary characters as well throughout the entire novel. There was also a good balance between the heavy moments and the lighter moments. Really I can’t say one bad thing about this book.

So my last suggestion to you is…

tumblr_n41w4rIAhG1tttkm7o1_500

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, ya contemporary

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Veronica Porras (TTB)

16068905

Goodreads Summary:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Initial Thoughts:

I didn’t have any expectations at all. I know that a lot of people loved Eleanor & Park, but I didn’t let that get my expectations high because it is always a 50/50 chance that I will like a very loved book of the masses.

Review:

(So, I started writing this review back in September of  2013 when I had just finished reading Fangirl and after all this time, I can finally articulate exactly what I want to say. Yes, it took that long to digest it. It was that good.)

I think not having any expectations did wonders to the experience I had with reading this book. It took me by surprise! I loved almost every second I spent reading it. It was absolutely amazing and I don’t regret reading this book for a minute.

What really blew me away is the fact that Rainbow Rowell created some amazing characters. They are all well rounded and well developed characters that one does not think twice about their believability. Seriously. It’s so gosh darn good that I have zero complaints. I even like Nick as a character. Yeah, I can’t believe I just said that either.

But…. Can we talk about Levi? Gosh, that hunk of a man that melts my coffee-loving heart. Where can I find my own Levi? Anyone? I want my own Cowboy, Barista, Fangirl lover. I never knew I could find a man that is not a “city” man attractive. I will be honest though. There were a few chapters in the book where I wasn’t happy with Levi’s actions, but he totally made up for it so I forgave him.

In literature it is very common to see a single mother raising her kids, but it is more often than not rare to see a single dad raising his kids. Why? I’m guessing because in our society today (at least in the United States) it is more common to hear talk or know a single mother with kids, than a single dad with kids. I really loved that Rainbow Rowell deviated from the norm. It gave us, the reader, something….different yet still plausible and convincing.

Lastly, I just want to touch upon something everyone has talked about, the awkwardness of being a Fangirl. This book perfectly captured the “awkwardness” that comes with being a fangirl. No, I am not saying it is bad, nor am I saying that in a negative way. If I were to fangirl at work per say (which honestly I have come so close to doing because ANJIE text’s me information about my real life ship and I almost can’t contain myself) people would look at me all weird and even question my sanity. The awkwardness of being a fangirl is taken away when one fangirls in a place where one can fangirl. Like If I am at Kayla’s house, it is perfectly normal to fangirl and her mom and sister will only laugh and not think badly of me (although Kayla’s dog Princess is a whole other story. I kinda freak her out, but I forgive her for judging me LOL). Everyone “fangirls” but no one ever addresses it. THIS BOOK ADDRESSED ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH BEING A FANGIRL and that is why I am so enamored with it. This may be fiction, but it is also a peak into the life of many girls today. It’s a peak into our generation and I love that.

(Can you not tell by now how much I just LOVE Ms. Rowell’s work? LOL)

There are many other things I still have left to discuss [like fan fiction, college, family, etc], but for the sake of the length of the review, I will stop here.

I am giving this book A++++ yet I know this book is not for everyone. I will leave you with this final thought though, if not read the book for enjoyment, read it to understand a part of this era’s generation. You will not have a better insight into the life of a Fangirl than this brilliant piece of literature.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

anjieeeb

infernal-devices-covers1

Goodreads Summary:

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment. The Shadowhunters of the Victorian Age delve into all of these—in addition to darkness and danger—in the Infernal Devices trilogy.

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them….

My Initial Thoughts:

I had just finished reading The Mortal Instruments when I learned of this trilogy’s existence. I was a bit timid about getting to it because I fell in love with the shadowhunter world in the TMI series and I was worried that a historical prequel would ruin it. I was really nervous about it, but I did hear great things about the Infernal Devices so I thought, “What harm can reading the first book do?”

Review:

WOW! Where do I begin?! Clockwork Angel hooked me in and brought me all the way to Clockwork Princess and became my favorite trilogy of all time. I honestly loved this trilogy so much more than Clare’s Mortal Instrument series. The time period and setting was way more interesting. Even though there were less books, I felt that the characterization was more significant.

What really got me hooked was William Herondale! He is now and probably forever will be my favorite male character. He has so much depth within him and when he was first introduced with all his snarky attitude, glory, and sarcasm, I knew he had me. His back story was very heartfelt and explains his every action. Will wasn’t the only one who captured my heart. His parabatai, Jem Carstairs, did as well. I don’t love him as much as Will, but he is also a great character with his own heartbreaking story. What surprised me more was my love for the lead female character, Tessa Gray. I am usually frustrated with female leads because sometimes they make horrible decisions, but it was different with Tessa. I found that I could somewhat relate to Tessa. While I detested some of the characters from TMI, I absolutely loved all the characters in TID (and yes, that means the secondary characters as well. Those Lightworms). Of course, I’m not including the villains and cohorts.

This trilogy is definitely worth reading and if you weren’t too attached to Clockwork Angel, keep pressing on because the trilogy only gets better. Clockwork Princess was the most heartbreaking book I probably have ever read. I read it all in one sitting, and I went through a roller coaster of emotions and cried for about an hour after finishing. It was beautifully tragic and I felt that it did justice to the series. It was an amazing solid ending to the series.

Rating: 5/5

Other

Roommate Story + Giveaway: Roomies by Sarah Zarr & Tara Altenbrando

Veronica Porras (TTB)

576d9ca8d0c8693e1439309340518ad5

Roommate Story:

I have so many roommate stories… mostly bad ones. My last year of University I had a wonderful roommate, one of my close friends, and we were great together. Just to make this interesting I’ll give you my roommate story of my first year of college which scarred me for life.

I went to a small private university in California. Everyone raved about the close-knit environment and how everyone got along. Boy, was that totally not my experience. My freshman dorm was a old building which was the farthest from the main campus and housed about 250 students. I was stuck in a triple (one room for three girls) and the room was already small to begin with. One of my roommates was hispanic (like myself) and the other was Japanese-hawaiian. Need less to say, the hispanic roommate was out of our room within two weeks of school starting. Why? Because she was impossible to live with.

We had all talked before school started and she didn’t seem that bad, but when she came to the dorm with her parents, I had a bad feeling which turned out to be true. Let’s call her Maria for the purpose of the story. Anyways, Maria was such a snob. Her parents drove a Mercedes and she was all about flaunting what she had. When she saw my mom bought me an iTouch, she was filled with rage. She was like you’re so lucky, but her tone was anything but sweet. Once I came from class and my bed looked like someone had jumped all over it and there was dirt on it. My other roommate was with me in the previous class so the only one who could have done that was her. She denied it of course. Also, when she saw my dad bought me a new car, she was so mad. She just left the room. Also, she had to have her afternoon nap and since she was a light sleeper, we couldn’t even go into the room or we would wake her up and she would be pissed. She kept having a bad attitude about everything until one day I went to the RD and said, either she leaves or I do, but I’m not living with her anymore. Let’s just say she left.

Now, to the GIVEAWAY part of this post where I tell you how you can win a copy of Roomies!

Giveaway Rules:

  • Must have a US Street Address, No PO Box’s please.
  • Must share a quick story about a roommate situation (It can be camp, college, etc.) in the comment section below.
  • Giveaway Ends January 13, 2013 by midnight PST.
  • Must fill out this form (Asking for your email address and US address)

Sara and Tara’s confirmed tour dates:

  • January 12, 2014 – New York, NY: McNally Jackson [venue link]
  • January 15, 2014 – Salt Lake City, UT: The King’s English [venue link]
  • January 16, 2014 – Provo, UT: Provo Library [venue link]
  • February 4, 2014 – San Francisco, CA: Books Inc, Opera Plaza [venue link]
  • February 5, 2015 – Petaluma, CA: Copperfield’s Books [venue link]

This is all possible thanks to the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers who are kind enough to let me host a giveaway!

Reviews, YA Mystery

Book Review: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Veronica Porras (TTB)

13597723

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

thenaturals

Other

Let’s Talk About: YA Crime/Gov’t OP Novels

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Is it just me or are there not that many YA crime novels? Some of my favorite shows are Bones, White Collar, Psych, Monk, etc, and I would love to not just watch shows like those, but also read some novels like the shows. One of my go to authors for spies and con-mans is Ally Carter. She has the Heist Society Series which follows a family of high class thieves, and The Gallagher Girls series which follows Cammie, a spy-in-training destined to become the next legend.

Another author I’ve gone to is Jennifer Lynn Barnes with her The Squad Series (Gov’t OPS/Spies), and her most recent novel, The Naturals, which follows five teenagers with extraordinary talents that help the FBI solve cold cases. There is also these two phenomenal sisters, Lisa and Laura Roecker, who write about secret societies and murder. Lastly, we have Kara Taylor’s debut novel, Prep School Confidential, which is another murder mystery story that takes place within the walls of a high class preparatory.

Apart from the authors I mentioned above, I don’t really know about other crime/secret society novels within YA. This sub genre within YA is not very well known or talked about, which is why I assume there aren’t many books in the genre.

I really wish there were more…. Anyone else think the same thing?

Other

16 Blogging Days of Winter – Day 2

Veronica Porras (TTB)

16bloggydaysofwinter1

Today’s topic is all about the TBR. What am I reading next? Yesterday I just finished reading The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes which was a awesome book (review to come soon). After reading a heavy murder mystery I need a contemporary and the book I picked is…

16045296Goodreads 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.

Other

16 Blogging Days of Winter – Day 1

Veronica Porras (TTB)

16bloggydaysofwinter1

Favorite Books Set In Winter-Time

There are several books that I love that are set in winter time. The books in my list are all over the place. Some are YA contemporary, some are paranormal, but overall I suggest you read them all because they are the perfect books to read on a cold winter day.

  1. Let It Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson – Three authors. Three Stories. One Town.
  2. Frostbite (VA #2) by Richelle Mead – This is the second book in the vampire academy series and let me just tell you, ski resort, vampires, danger, and love.
  3. The Fiery Heart (BL #4) by Richelle Mead – This is the fourth book in the Bloodlines series which is the spinoff series of VA. Even a cold California winter can get hot real fast. 😉
  4. Suite Dreams by Rachel Hawthorne – This is the perfect, most fluffiest book for the winter time. If this book were a drink, it would be a hot chocolate with marshmallows.

What are some of your favorite winter time books?

Special Review, YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal

Blog Book Review Tour: Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Sanctuarybanner2

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway