Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross {Review}

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Publish Date: April 10, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday -- and discovers a world she never could have a imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems -- the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own...brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and and hidden thorns.

Looking at the cover of Kill Me Softly you probably aren’t imagining the story inside to be so dark (despite the blood), but it is. Oh, by golly, it is. Incredibly, deliciously dark.

The first third of the book wasn’t so awesome for me. I spent it being astounded by Mira’s stupidity and unwillingness to question things. I mean, I understand Felix has magic working on his side, but come on. He’s 21, you’re a few days shy of sixteen and you just crawl in bed with him after a few hours spent together? Where is your brain, Mira?! And then when everyone is telling her he has a curse she’s all “but this is true love and you wouldn’t understand!” instead of digging a little deeper to find out exactly what this curse is.

BUT, then things start to clear up. Then we start learning about the curses and the fairytales, and let me tell you, it’s pretty gruesome. It’s one thing to read the fairytales and think they’re dark, but it’s another to think about applying it to life today. And I absolutely love how Cross weaved the fairytales into modern life.

Then there’s Blue. Oh, Blue. I kind of loved him from the start even though he acted like a complete jerk for a while. The poor guy is just so tortured and selfless. If you’re looking for a noble knight in hiding, look no further than Blue.

Felix, on the other hand, always just felt a little slimy to me. And, in my opinion, he is, but I’ll let you make that decision for yourself without ruining anything ;]

Mira became a much more complex and likable character by the end of the story which I greatly appreciated. Instead of continuing on the lovesick puppy path she starts to actually question things and search out answers.

Spoilers 

I’m feeling pretty torn about the ending, though. On the one hand, I loved it. On the other, well, let’s break it down:

-- Umm, hello, what about Felix? It alluded to the fact that he’d need to be killed, but we’re just going to end the story with him wandering around with his head intact? Not cool. I was really looking forward to seeing a fight with him.

-- What about our poor knight, Freddie? I know he already knew Mira didn’t like him that way, but what is he supposed to do with his life now? He’s spent years looking for his princess and when he finds her she runs straight into the arms of another guy. That definitely deserved some follow up.

-- The elusive parents? I know it’d be long and complicated to build a relationship between them and Mira, but all I’m asking for is one little meeting. I just wanted to meet them!

-- What’s up with her fairy godmothers saying something about fairy prison? They act like we should know what rules they broke and what trouble they’d get in instead of just telling us. Not cool.

I know I can’t have everything, but that’s a lot of stuff to introduce only to leave unanswered.

End spoilers

The Nutshell: If you love your fairytales dark then you’ll definitely like Kill Me Softly. The story is complex and fascinating and it’ll really make you question right and wrong (at least, it did me).

Pages: 336

Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman {Review}

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publish Date: April 10, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.
But the next morning, it was still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend, Adrianne, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also -- according to the police, to her parents, to everyone -- a murderer.
Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that may not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

The Book of Blood and Shadow is one seriously crazy, twisty adventure. There were so many plot twists you’d think it’d be hard to keep up, but the story actually flowed in a fantastic way.

This is a whopper of a book, so let’s break it down:

Characters:

Nora – Flawed, but in a good, believable way. This girl has dealt with some serious tragedy in her life, so I don’t blame her for being pessimistic. She was also headstrong and stubborn; unwilling to let anyone do anything for her. The fact that she was unwilling to ask for help may seem stupid, but I actually admired that in her.

Max – I felt kind of on the fence about him most of the time. I could see why Nora liked him and how she reasoned away his moody side, but I can’t deal with moody and I don’t appreciate guys snapping at their girlfriends just because they “get that way.” I didn’t hate him, but I also didn’t really like him.

Adriane – Sometimes I liked her and sometimes she just seemed so damn full of herself. Plus, her and Nora had kind of a strange relationship.

Just because I complained about the characters doesn’t mean they weren’t great in the story :]

Story:

This is one crazy storyline, guys. Just when you think you’ve figured it out BAM there’s another twist you never saw coming (or, at least, I didn’t see coming). I kind of like that the story starts about by telling you Chris is dead and then backtracks and gives you a little of what happened before Chris was murdered. The backtrack made it possible to get to know Chris and a little of why he died without it having to just be info-dump or telling instead of showing.

I loved the story. I loved everything from Latin translations (although, I could’ve done without Latin/Czech/whatever that wasn’t translated throughout the book) to the idea of this crazy machine hidden away in Prague that does who know what. Everything was mysterious enough to keep me going but Wassernan also provided enough answers I didn’t want to pull my hair out from all the not knowing.

My one complaint is all the religion talk. It probably won’t bother most people since it’s not the preachy kind. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Norah doesn’t believe in any type of religion so since they’re searching for some religious artifact, you can imagine how often she’s preaching her non-belief. (I know I said it wasn’t preachy, but it isn’t what people normally think of as preachy.) I completely understand why the questioning was important to Norah’s character, but I just wish it wasn’t so “God could not exist and whoever believes in him is kind of stupid” all the time.

The Nutshell: If you’re looking for a good cross-country mystery then The Book of Blood and Shadow is definitely your book. There’s so many plot-twists I can just short of guarantee (because I can’t guarantee anything :P) you’ll never be bored or figure out the story early on.

Pages: 448

Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti {Review}

Publisher: Viking JuvenilePublish Date: May 31, 2012Source: Library
Goodreads

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the way her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush, Julian Porter, starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself -- and for the love that keeps her holding on.

When I read the description for Keep Holding On I couldn't help but think I'd be left annoyed by Noelle and her decisions. Sometimes I did just want to grab her by the shoulders and tell her like it is, but she had a friend that did a pretty good job of it, so I understood where she was coming from in those instances even more. Instead of being super annoyed with Noelle, my heart went out to her.

I went to a small school that didn't really have any bullying. When I say small, I'm talking pre-K through 12 in one building. There was a few groups of outcasts, of course, but for the most part, everyone was either friendly or indifferent to each other. So, I've never experienced anything like what Noelle went through. I can't even fathom the cruelty she dealt with. She skipped lunches at school for fear of the torture that'd be inflicted on her because of how poor she was. And her home life was no better. I honestly hated her mother. She was cruel to Noelle in every way possible: yelled at her for simple things, blamed her or their poor situation, rarely fed her or kept any food in the house, and even stole her money. I was itching to call child services despite the fact that it was, you know, fictional...

And then there's Matt. Stupid, idiot Matt. Anyone could see how crappy of a guy he was, but after so many years of torture and being ignored by nearly everyone around her, Noelle can't help but be pulled in by all the attention. Well, the secret attention. Every time she explained his secrecy away I just wanted to go

It hurt to see her go through all that when she really wanted Julian anyway I hated seeing her push him away just because she was disappointed in her life and thought she wasn't worth it.

Keep Holding On is my first Colasanti book, but it definitely won't be my last. She handles bullying in a way that made me want to get up and do something to change it. I felt for Noelle so much and the thought of real life kids dealing with that stuff makes my heart hurt.

The Nutshell: Keep Holding On was not the story about a stupid girl who can't see what's best for her that I expected. Colasanti pulls out the big guns with bullying and really makes you feel for Noelle. If you're in for a story about a girl with a tough life and her journey towards loving and respecting herself then you'll love Keep Holding On.

Pages: 224

Series: No

Rating: Hit

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour {Review}

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

Publish Date: February 16, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans -- and Colby -- to start college n the fall.
But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing n small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Maybe there’s something wrong with me, because while reading The Disenchantments I never wanted Colby to forgive Bev. This might come from the fact that I’m a terrible grudge holder, but part of it’s also due to the fact that Bev treated him horribly.

I’ve been through my fair share of best friend fights and at least one or two was due to the fact that they were starting to keep things from me and grow apart so I can definitely feel for Colby in that aspect. I felt so sorry for him when Bev started pulling away. She did thing after thing that hurt him and I just wanted to tell her off.

Which brings me to Bev. Quite honestly, I didn’t like her and I never ended up liking her despite the ending. Maybe I’m alone in this or maybe that’s the way LaCour wanted it, but it’s definitely how I felt.

I loved the how the road trip was not only a literal journey, but an emotional journey for all the characters too. It wasn’t just our main character, Colby, who went through changes, but all of them which I thought was really neat. Side characters can usually be done with or without. Sometimes they’re just there for advice, sometimes for comic relief, and sometimes for no other reason than the main character needs friends, but that’s not the case with The Disenchantments. Meg, Alexa, and Bev all make their own personal journeys.

The Nutshell: If you love road trips, great side characters, literal and emotional journeys, small towns, and watching one boy go through a multitude of emotions for one girl then The Disenchantments is definitely a book for you.

Pages: 307

Series: No

Rating: Hit

Beauty by Lisa Daily {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: May 10, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

What's it like to be the most beautiful girl in the world?
Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.
But Molly soon discovers that beauty -- and her wish -- come with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good.

Beauty was a fun read, but our main character, Molly, was constantly driving me nuts. She becomes beautiful and magically transforms from quiet, kind invisible girl to world-class B in a matter of days. I was in a constant state of wanting to throw the book across the room for almost its entirety.

Of course, you can tell simply by reading the description that this is going to be a very moral-driven story, but in the end that’s all I got out of it. Here we have a girl with a good friend and a pretty decent life who thinks being pretty will make everything better. So, she gets her wish and becomes the person everyone is falling all over themselves to please – girls and guys alike. Except, all the people who cared about her in the first place. Those people? Molly just pushes them to the side like yesterday’s trash and I’m sitting here going “excuse me? How can one person be so terrible when they’ve been on the other side of it?” Needless to say, though Molly learned her lesson in the end, I wasn’t a fan at all of how she managed to get there. I couldn’t connect with her at all since I couldn’t justify any of her crappy actions.

Despite all my complaints about the main character and the storyline it’s still a pretty cute read. Predictable and infuriating at times, but still a cute, fun read.

The Nutshell: Beauty is exactly what you think it is: a story about a girl who had a decent life but thought good looks would solve all her problems, but they didn’t. You can easily guess how the story will go, but it’s still a cute, quick read if you want some moralistic fluff (is that a contradiction?).

Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss/Miss

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby {Review}

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she's called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn't mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she's sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett -- teen superstar and the only celebrity who's ever been kind to her -- at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo's dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned's in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

I don’t actually have a lot to say about Shooting Stars, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, it was a fun read, it just simply wasn’t one of those Stand Out Reads, you know?

Let’s start off with the story. At first I was just kind of moseying along with the flow, not really invested, but still interested enough that I wanted to keep reading. Then there was this twist that kind of came out of nowhere, but raised the stakes enough that I was plenty more interested and really wanted to know how it turned out.

Then there were the characters. Jo wasn’t exactly likeable, but I didn’t really dislike her either. I understood both her quandaries about being a paparazzo (did you know there was a singular?) and her rationalization for it, but man, the girl could get some serious inner debates going. Sometimes I just wanted to be like “I think now would be a good chance to tell the truth, he seems like a pretty understanding guy,” but no, she had to waffle on about it for longer. Her indecision seemed a bit drawn out to me, but hey, I’m a terrible decision-maker, so who am I to judge?

Ned was pretty likeable, but nobody I was all swoony for since he didn’t have much of a personality for a majority of the book.

The Nutshell: Shooting Stars is a cute, quick read. If you want a warm-fuzzy romance then this is definitely something worth checking out. If you’re more into the deep contemporaries, then you probably want to go elsewhere.

 Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin {Review}

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publish Date: March 27, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Lucas and Tessa's friendship is stuff of legends in their small Midwestern town. So it's no surprise when Lucas finally realizes his feelings for Tessa are more than friendship and he asks her to prom. What no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian instead of accepting his heartfelt invitation. Humiliated and confused, Lucas feels betrayed that his best friend kept such an important secret from him.
What's worse is Tessa decides to wear a tastefully tailored tuxedo to escort her female crush, sparking a firestorm of controversy. Lucas must decide if he should stand on the sidelines or if he should stand by his friend to make sure that Tessa Masterson will go to prom.

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom was a fun, cute read. There were some dark parts, as was expected, but it all still felt a little surfacey. I mean, it was overall a good read, but nothing that really stood out.

Lucas’s feelings for Tessa were just so sudden. I mean, someone actually tells him that he likes her and them, BAM, he decides that he does. I think it’s natural to wonder if a guy/girl friendship could possibly be more, but I feel like Lucas’s feelings should have been eased into a little more. I know it wasn’t the point of the story, but it just ended up feeling like a catalyst, not something realistic.

All the awesome support Tessa got made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire book.

Lucas and Tessa both ended up driving me nuts for a while. I think it was pretty crappy of Tessa to never tell Lucas. If she just “assumed he knew” like she repeatedly said then she would have no need to be worried about what he would think. Best friends are the people you share everything with and I can certainly understand why Lucas was hurt and pissed. What I can’t understand is why in the world it took him so long to talk to her again. I know he was scared and whatnot, but I think he really could have just been like “Tess, I’m sorry for how I acted and I want you to know that I’m here for you now.”

The Nutshell: Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom is a cute, though still a little dark, fun read. It’s a little about love, but a lot about friendship and figuring out who you are. It’s a little surfacey, but still a good read overall.

Pages: 257

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand {Review}

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: August 28, 2012

Source: ARC from contest

Goodreads

At the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls you will definitely learn your lesson.
Victoria hates nonsense. There is no need for it when your life is perfect. The only smudge on her pristine life is her best friend Lawrence. He is a disaster -- lazy and dreamy, shirt always untucked, obsessed with his silly piano. Victoria often wonders why she ever bothered being his friend. (Lawrence does too.)
But then Lawrence goes missing. And he's not the only one. Victoria soon discovers that the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is not what it appears to be. Kids go in but come out...different. Or they don't come out at all.
If anyone can sort this out, it's Victoria -- even if it means getting a little messy.

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is spooky, disturbing, and downright awesome. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a middle grade so dark, but I loved every minute of it, and I’m pretty sure my twelve-year-old self would have too.

First of all let me just say that Victoria’s not a very likable character. She’s prim and proper and has to have everything just so. And yet, believe it or not, I didn’t hate her. Her personality was absolutely perfect for the story.

Legrand is a master when it comes to the creep-factor, let me tell you. I thought I could feel little cockroach feet all over me while I was reading. In fact, as I wrote that I got a creepy-crawly feeling down my spine. I HATE beetles.

You know how when you know something’s afoot but you don’t know what and so you expect anything? Yeah, well I thought I did too, but Legrand threw surprise after surprise at me with the creepy goings on in the Cavendish house. There’s the birds with hands, the hanger, the changing walls, and then there’s the gofer’s! Those poor, poor things :[

The Nutshell: I adored The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. If you’re looking for a quick, creepy middle grade read, then you should definitely pick this one up!

Pages: 352

Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker {Review}

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publish Date: May 22, 2012

Source: ARC from contest

Goodreads

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams' heart. She fell for her best friend's boyfriend and long story short: he's excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.
Enter her parents' plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and her little sister would make Clem would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.
Then she meets James at one of their first spots along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he's just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem's walls and heal her broken heart?

I feel like maybe there’s something wrong with me. When I turned the last page of Unbreak My Heart I wanted to cry despite the fact that it ended on a pretty hopeful note. See what I mean? I should be happy, right? Maybe part of it is that I’m a tad jealous of Clem’s fantastic summer. Being on a boat all summer sounds like pure torture to me (at least, the sixteen-year-old me) but after reading Clem’s story I almost feel as if I was robbed of something since I didn’t get a boating trip of my own. Unless you count the two-week-long road trip in the van with my 4 other family members, but I don’t :P

Let me just say that Walker certainly knows how to write a good teen character. Though I’ve never been through anything like Clem went through I could completely relate to a lot of her thoughts. In the first 1/3 of the book when all she wants to do is sulk and feels as if she deserves the self-punishment? So been there. When she snaps at her parents and sister because they won’t just give her some room? Been there too. When she has those happy moments with her family that make it seem like they aren’t so bad? Definitely been there. Clem is a character that I could completely relate to despite the fact that we had very little in common which I loved.

Of course, there’s a romance aspect. It’s nowhere near the focal point of the story, though. It’s more like the nice the sprinkles on top of your cupcake, though. It’s pretty and fun, but it isn’t what’s at the heart of the story. When you get right down to it, this is a story of a girl whose completely broken inside and spends the summer picking up all the pieces and putting herself together again. It’s a story about loss and friendship and family. And it’s a story about the magic of summer.

The Nutshell: Unbreak My Heart is more than just a story about summer love. If you’re looking for a good summer read, you’ll definitely find it here. You’ll also find a story about a girl learning to forgive and love herself again, a story about families, and a story about what happens when black and white seem to blur.

 Pages: 240

Series: No

Rating: Hit

Chained by Lynne Kelly {Review}

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR

Publisher Date: May 8, 2012

Source: DAC ARC tours

Goodreads

After ten-year-old Hastin's family borrows money to pay for his sister's hospital uill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn't prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she's not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita a s best as he can., knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.

Once again another book has defied all my expectations and proven I don’t always know what I like best. I only read Chained because Tara from Fiction Folio was trying to get some people to fill up slots on an ARC tour for it. I wasn’t really jazzed about reading it since it didn’t seem like my type of book at all, but I’m so glad it landed in my lap.

A lot of times we look at a book like Chained and think it’ll be silly because an animal book can’t have the same depth. Or we already know the characters will have a hard journey and will likely be triumphant in the end so we figure why bother. I’m here to tell you to stamp down those silly feelings and read it anyway because Chained is a book that deserves to be read. Sure, some of the things were a little hard to read about, but I’m still incredibly happy I got the chance to read this book.

It’s amazing the kind of depth and emotion that can be conveyed through an animal that doesn’t even talk. I loved the fact that Nandita was a real character. She had her own personality even if she lacked the words to express herself.

Hastin was such a strong boy. He was only ten when the story began and he was already stronger than I am or ever have been. He never compromised his integrity or his beliefs. He never gave up on his sister or his mother or Nandita. He didn’t even give up on Nandita’s torturer when given the chance. Everything about Hastin felt real, raw, and authentic. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters of all time.

The Nutshell: You may be tempted to cast this book aside thinking it’s not your type, but I encourage you to give it a chance. The bond between boy and elephant isn’t one you’d likely to expect to be interesting but Hastin and Nandita are proof to the contrary. Chained is a quick read that’s likely to push you outside of your comfort zone but that’s just all the more reason to read it.

Pages: 242
Series: No
Rating: Direct Hit

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis {Review}

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publish Date: April 17, 2012
Source: Library

Goodreads

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so bid and terrifying you were not sure you'd survive solving it?When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other's arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it's the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.
Terrified by their amnesia , teh two make a pact to work together to gain the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they're in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town's perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything -- not the death of Marshall's mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse's family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.
Lonely in the world of happy zombies, Marsh and Else fall into and tense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love --and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

I practically read Glimmer straight through. I probably would have read it all in one night if I didn’t have work the next day as it is, I finished it in under 24 hours – which is really fast for me. Something about the mystery and the not knowing was so addicting I didn’t want to put the book down at all.

Going into it, I thought Glimmer would start out in some sort of hospital or lab. I have no idea where this assumption came from but the point is that it didn’t bother me in the slightest that it wasn’t. I was too busy being distracted by the fact the neither of the characters had any idea what was going on which, in turn, left me completely clueless too. If you’re the type who doesn’t like to be totally in the dark then Glimmer definitely isn’t for you, but that kind of thing is my absolute favorite.

Neither Marshall or Elyse were really my favorite characters, but I didn’t dislike them either. I enjoyed seeing both of them struggle with who they once were and who they were becoming. I know that sounds kind of sadistic, but I just mean that even though the characters weren’t my favorite I could still appreciate their emotional journeys.

I’m declaring Phoebe Kitanidis a mystery master. There was always just enough mystery to keep me flipping the pages to find out what happened next but not so much that I felt like ripping my hair out. There were some moments I was left sitting there going “what in the WORLD?!” but it was in the best possible way.

The Nutshell: If you’re looking for a good non-murder mystery that will keep you flipping pages then Glimmer is definitely your book. If you enjoy being terribly confused while being fed bits of information little by little then you need to run out and get this book into your hands as soon as possible!

Pages: 352
Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

7 Clues To Winning You by Kristin Walker {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: April 26, 2012
Source: Library
Goodreads

When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.
Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgement...or maybe she just craves the thrill of the game. But as the hunt progresses, their relationship heats up. Soon their madcap mischief spirals out of control. Blythe is faced with arrest and expulsion, among other catastrophes -- until Luke shows her what the Scramble (and love) is really about.

7 Clues To Winning You was a really cute book but I found myself volleying back and forth between “awww” and “ugh” for almost the entirety of the story.

The main problem for me was probably Blythe. In the beginning (and then sporadically throughout) she was selfish and snobby and thought she was above everyone else. It drove me absolutely insane how she pretty much thought the whole world revolved around her. She does end up growing beyond that, but something about her self-hating, self(and everyone else around)-destructive mindset in the process of the growth really rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, the way she needed to be smacked over the head with a sign for everything drove me batty. I figured out half the stuff, especially scavenger hunt clues, before she’d manage to come around to the conclusion herself.

Oh, and that “humiliating” picture is of her picking her nose and she acts like it’s the end of the entire world. I mean, really?

Whew. Until I wrote it all down I didn’t realize I disliked her character that much :P But, I’ve said many times before that characters don’t really make or break a story for me.

The plot, however, does, and 7 Clues To Winning You sadly wasn’t my favorite :[ I’d really been hoping to like this one so it truly does make me all sadface. It just seemed a little like there was too much going on. Let’s go through the main and side stories:

1) The family is selling the house. This side story goes really in-depth into the process of selling a house. I found it kind of interesting since I love to just sit and watch House Hunters on HGTV for hours, but it didn’t seem to contribute a lot to the story, especially since it’s told from Blythe’s point of view (as opposed to third person or whatnot) and the house selling process doesn’t really concern her.

2) The mother dealing with some feelings. I can kind of see where this could mean something to why Blythe is the way she is, but it still doesn’t seem incredibly pertinent. This is Blythe’s story, not her mother’s.

3) The scavenger hunt. Nothing to complain about here except for the fact that I wish there’d been a little more focus on it.

4) Luke & Blythe. Nothing to complain about here either.

5) Blythe drifting from old friends. This would certainly be an important and defining moment in Blythe’s life, but the way it was added into the story felt more like an easy way to move the plot along to me.

6) Blythe’s relationship with a pair of old ladies at the nursing home. This side story I completely and utterly approve of but I’ll get to that later.

7) Blythe’s relationship with her dad. I actually found this plot point pretty interesting even if it did get a tad tedious at times (partly because it’s easier to see the adult point of view when you’re older :P)

There’s probably more that I’m forgetting but basically what I’m saying here is that the storyline felt really cluttered sometimes.

Okay, those old ladies I mentioned? They are a RIOT! I freaking loved them to pieces. For once, a side story relationship trumps all the main plot points for me. I mean, these ladies scheme pop can heists and buy porno mags with Blythe. Seriously, that scene with the nudie magazine at the gas station is one of the best things ever. I was reading in bed at about 3 in the morning laughing so much I woke Husband up :P

The Nuthsell: Whewie did that review get long! Chances are you looked at how long it was and just skipped right down here to get to the main point and I don’t blame you! To sum it up, if you just want a contemp read that’ll provide you with a few laughs then 7 Clues To Winning You is definitely for you, but be prepared for large amounts of side plots.

Pages: 317
Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell {Review}

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publish Date: May 1, 2012

Source: Publisher for honest review
Goodreads

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school's struggling radio station, where the other students don't find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Gram's mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and and helps others to find the fun and joy in every day life. 

Looking at Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, one would probably think it’s all fluff, but that’s definitely not the case. Throughout the course of the story Chloe has to deal with some pretty hard stuff from cruel ex-best friends to feuding relatives.

I love the way Coriell wrote a story that defied expectations. Chloe defied my expectations as well. I didn’t really think she’d change in the end, but she did and it was awesome. In the beginning I could kind of see where her friends were coming from. Chloe did seem a little self-centered, but at the same time she has a huge heart that wants to take care of everyone she loves. Despite the fact that Chloe’s personality is basically the polar opposite of mine, I ended up really loving her and being able to connect with her.

I loved the radio station and all its inhabitants. Even though there were quite a few different characters at the radio Coriell managed to make them all completely unique. I loved reading about them and seeing Chloe find a family with them. Chloe’s talk-shows were super duper fun too :]

Though she doesn’t delve into the complete complexities of it, I really appreciated that Coriell touched on the idea that just because your problems are different than someone else’s doesn’t make them any less painful or difficult. This is something I often think about and I love that Chloe dealt with it a little too. Sure, a broken family and divorce really sucks, but that doesn’t mean that a whole, “picture-perfect” family doesn’t have problems that are just as bad for the person dealing with them.

Duncan was kind of infuriating at times, but I did like him overall, though I didn’t fall head over heels for him. But not every (fictional) guy is for every girl ;]

The Nutshell: If you’re expecting a cute read from Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, you’ll certainly get that, but you’ll come away with something else as well. This read isn’t all fluff, there’s family problems, friend issues, and even some fiery troubles. If you want a cute read that’s also rounded out with some problems (in the story not because of it) then you should definitely give Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe a chance.

Pages: 299
Series: No

Rating: Hit

Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler {Review}

Publisher: Dial 

Publish Date: January 5, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. The her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper find herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy Love? Maybe as much as I’d hoped. It’s still a cute read, but I never really connected with any of the characters. I’m not usually a character person as long as the plot sucks me in, but I found this plot to be a bit predictable. In fact, I’m not even sure what’s a spoiler since the storyline seemed a bit obvious to me. I’ll do my best to keep it spoiler-free, though.

Claire’s cynicism didn’t actually bother me, because if I’m honest, I was pretty cynical of Valentine’s during my middle and high school years as well. My cynical nature was due to not having my own Valentine rather than being hurt too many times like it was for Claire. From an older, outside point of view sometimes I felt like saying “Come on, Claire, it’s not ALL that bad” but I know a younger me would have been right there with her.

I basically called all the relationships from a mile away with one exception and that’s because he wasn’t really in the story. It was difficult watching all the characters be so oblivious to what was happening around them.

My favorite character of all was definitely Jan. He was just really cool in the way that he was somewhat of a father-figure for Claire but he wasn’t pushy or anything. He was just there to tell Claire the truth when she was willing to listen.

I also quite liked Lucy and Dom. They were a fun little addition to the story.

The Nutshell: Overall Love? Maybe was a cute read, but rather predictable. I wasn’t romanced off my feet by any of the characters but none of them bothered me either. I’d say it was a pretty middle-of-the-road read, but if you’re looking for a cute quick pick-me-up, this could definitely do the trick.

Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter {Review}

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Hiding is Roo Fenshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room -- a garden with a tragic secret.

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen the movie, yes, and my mother read the book to me when I was younger, but I honestly don’t remember The Secret Garden that much. With that being said, you should know that The Humming Room does a fantastic job of standing on its own.

When I first began reading The Humming Room it just seemed a little strange, but as I read on I felt myself getting used to the world and the characters and really growing to like them. Roo was kind of prickly (I don’t usually say this about characters since it makes me think of cacti, but it works) she also wasn’t afraid to tell you how she felt. I appreciated the fact that Roo was a rather quiet girl but could really make herself be heard if she wanted to. Violet was another favorite character. She was just so happy and friendly it would be impossible not to like her.

I really appreciated the subtle creepiness you get from the first half of the book before you start getting some answers. What with the old children’s hospital, parts of it kind of felt like one of those creepy asylum movies, but not quite so scary.

I really, really liked how the garden played into the story. It had so much character of its own wasn’t just some overlooked thing tossed in for effect. I don’t want to give anything away, though, so I’ll leave it at that.

The Nutshell: I’m sure fans of The Secret Garden will enjoy The Humming Room as well, but you don’t have to know anything about the former to enjoy this story. It has characters with plenty of personality and some with a bit of spunk. There’s a little creepiness that kind of sneaks its way into you, but by the end you won’t be left with that feeling at all. If you want a good, quick read, The Humming Room is a book for you.

Pages: 192

Series: No

Rating: Hit

The Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith {Review}

Publisher: Poppy

Publish Date: January 2, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Can I pretty please just hug this book right now?

For reals, I adored The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I love everything from the fact that Oliver is adorably British to the title being an inside joke from the story.

For some reason, I was under the impression that this whole story took place in an airport and on a plane. Don’t ask me where the idea came from since now that I think about it it makes no sense that 24 whole hours would be spent between those two places. I think it was probably for that reason that the airport and plane were my favorite parts of the story, but I still really enjoyed the other parts as well.

I also love that fact that everything that happens is a little unlikely, but the title of the story already tells you that. Yes, it’s unlikely that you’ll meet a super cute British guy at the airport and end up next to him on the same flight, but it’s still possible and that’s the important part.

Speaking of cute British guys…yeah, Oliver is basically awesome. He’s funny and cute and…British! Yay for accents ;] Plus, he has green eyes and I’ve always been a sucker for those.

If you’ve read a review about this book you’ve probably heard about how it’s not just a love story. How it’s also about Hadley’s relationship with her dad. And I’m sure, like me, you kept thinking “yeah, but what about the kissing?!?” But really, the kissing is awesome and important, but so is the father-daughter relationship. Though I’d never gone through a parents’ divorce I still felt I could relate to Hadley and her thoughts.

The Nutshell: There is kissing and it’s awesome. There is a confused teen girl and she’s easy to relate with. There’s a father-daughter that needs some working through and it’s interesting to see. There’s unbelievable chance meetings and it’s swoon-making and fantastic. If those things don’t convince you then don’t forget there’s a cute British guy ;]

Pages: 236
Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook {Review}

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Library
Goodreads

Isobel's life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before,  and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.
But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn't only her life unraveling -- her sanity might be giving away too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her father did before her, or she's seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel's fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

Unraveling Isobel wasn’t quite the psychological thriller I was hoping for, but it was still a great read.

First of all, I just want to say that I hated Isobel’s mom and stepdad. They were incredibly heartless at times and it really bugged me. Not in the way that I thought it was unrealistic or anything, but more in the way that I just felt really bad for Isobel. Seriously, what kind of mom complains about all the years they’ve “given” their daughter.

Then there’s the Isobel/Nate thing. I’m going to be honest, it really weirded me out. I understand that it’s not technically illegal or anything, but it is certainly weird.

I appreciated the growth in Isobel and how she went from wanting to be friends with whoever would take her in to being proud of herself and standing up to catty biatches around her. Her inner turmoil over whether she was going crazy was interesting too. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not only think you’re going crazy, but to have basically everyone around you agreeing.

And then there’s the creepy aspect. It really added something to the story that Isobel was constantly wondering whether she was crazy, but I can’t say that I was always wondering what was real and what wasn’t. I suppose it does leave it up to the reader to decide, but to me it seemed that certain things were obviously paranormal. It’s up to you to decide for yourself, though ;]

The Nutshell: Though Unraveling Isobel didn’t have quite the creep factor I was hoping for, it did still make me jumpy while reading at night. It’s a lot deeper than just another scary ghost story too, though. Isobel has to deal with having a father with schizophrenia and constantly wondering if she has it to. Not only that, but everyone around her – mom, stepdad, peers – are basically reinforcing the idea that there’s something wrong with her. If you’re looking for a good mystery with a strong character that leaves the paranormal element up to the reader, this is definitely your book.

Pages: 304

Series: No

Rating: Hit

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom {Review}

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publish Date: January 10, 2012
Source: Library
Goodreads

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heel? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. Ian, who promised her the most amazing night and prom. And then ditched her.

Let’s start with characters. Justina was your typical, high school girl overthinking everything and jumping to conclusions, but she was also one determined girl. I mean, if I had a night like her, I would have been on the ground somewhere just bawling my eyes out, defeated. Justina wasn’t like that, though. Yeah, she cried a few times, but then she got back up and continued on her way.

The Mikes deserve a little highlight because I think them along with Serenity and Bliss were my favorite characters. Sure, they’re stoners, but they’re sweet, thoughtful stoners :]

Now let’s go over the story. Yeah, it was crazy and zany, but it still managed to be believable. I loved that it was kind of a mystery that we got to discover and puzzle through along the way. I also really liked that because of the mystery I could go from liking a character to hating them to love them throughout the course of the story.

I loved how the stains on the dress incorporated into the story and I especially loved that there was a picture of something before each chapter that went along with that part of the night. Like a picture of the dress where curry was splattered on it. And the chapters without a dress picture had junk food titles which I found funny. I was desperately wanting nachos by the time I finished :P

The Nutshell: Ditched: A Love Story was a super cute, fun read. It was crazy, but in the best way possible. Justina is a character that really earned my respect with her determination, even if she made some bad decisions and assumptions. Chances are your prom was nothing like this, but you’ll definitely want to read about it!

Pages: 273

Series: No

Rating Hit

New Girl by Paige Harbison {Review}

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publish Date: January 31, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

A contemporary young-adult retelling inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspense bestseller Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
They call me "New Girl"...
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that's who I am. New Girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed -- because of her.
Becca Normandy -- that's the name on everyone's lips. Thee girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can't compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it's my fault.
Except for Max Holloway -- the boy whose name shouldn't be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca's boyfriend...but she's gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca's life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she's still out there, waiting to take it back.

New Girl was good, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. For one, I thought it had a little something more going on behind the scenes than a regular contemporary, like a dash of paranormal or something. I’m not quite sure where I got that idea, but I had it and the book, in fact, did not. That’s not what really made it fall flat for me, though, just wanted to clear up anyone else’s expectations in case they had them.

For some reason I didn’t really connect with anyone in the story. I could feel for the main character, but still didn’t really connect with her. I realize Becca was literally sick, but I still hated her. She was just so horrible that it was impossible to like or connect with her. Honestly, I hated Max. He didn’t grow on me at all and I really disliked that the main character wanted to be with him so badly. He wasn’t horrid or anything, but I couldn’t get past the fact that he basically thought it was okay to mess around with Becca and not actually commit to anything. Even if she was a tad crazy.

At times I got kind of a sinister vibe, but overall New Girl didn’t deliver on the creep factor I was hoping for. Basically it was just a double mean girl story. One from the victim’s point of view and one side from the bully’s point of view.

The Nutshell: New Girl was really just an okay read. I think part of what left me so disappointed was my expectations and those are, of course, all my fault. New Girl is a good book if you like boarding schools and mean girl stories, but don’t go to it looking for paranormal or creepy mystery.

Pages: 320

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne {Review}

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR
Publish Date: February 2, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Hollbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, bu what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her -- and the rest of the world, too.

Harbinger was…strange. That’s honestly the best word I can think of to describe it. I’d say it’s a strange that falls onto the side of good-strange, though.

It took a while for me to really get into the story because I knew there was something more than just a regular ol’ boarding school story there. The only indication of that was the red hands, though and the synopsis had already told me about that. I wanted something more and I just wasn’t getting it. Ask and you shall receive, right? Harbinger definitely delivered on the “different” front by the end.

Sadly, though it was definitely different, it still didn’t quite work for me. It felt a bit like the ending was just kind of thrown at me. Like there wasn’t really much easing into it and then BAM crazy ending. I did appreciate the ending to some degree, though. Before reading I’d heard a lot of people wanting to know whether this was a standalone (it is) which usually means some sort of cliffhanger-like ending and I like my standalone endings to be tied up nicely. I needn’t worry, though, because I ended up being rather satisfied with the ending.

The Nutshell: Harbinger is strange. A sort-of good strange, in my opinion, but incredibly strange nonetheless. If you like strange, dying worlds, and/or reform/boarding schools, you’ll find at least something in Harbinger for you.

Pages: 309

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss (this is the first review with the new rating system and the explanation can be found to you right.)