Sarah (Escaping Through Books)

ON THE JELLICOE ROAD

On the Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta Beautiful!

Moonglass

Moonglass - Jessi Kirby I adored Jessi Kirby's IN HONOR, so I made sure to make the time to read the author's debut novel this summer as well. MOONGLASS was a wonderful contemporary novel that will be a memorable story because of its beautiful writing, vividly described setting, and excellent character development. This book is set toward the end of summer and the beginning of the school year, which surprised me because for some reason I thought it would be a story set during the heights of summer. However, it is still a great book to pick up during the summer because of the dreamy beach setting. MOONGLASS was an emotional story because Anna struggles to understand why her father would move them to the beach where years ago her father had met her mother. Her mother committed suicide on another beach when Anna was a child, and being in a place where her mother had a history before her was difficult for Anna because the loss of her mother is still both confusing and painful. One of the things that impressed me so much about this story was the fact that it is a relatively short book (230 pages or so) compared to the length of books that I normally read (around 300-400 pages), and yet felt so fulfilling and satisfying. This book expertly explored many different kinds of relationships, such as Anna's romance with Tyler (very cute!), her friendships with Ashley and Jillian, and her relationship with her father. MOONGLASS is a story that will stick with me for awhile rather than being easily forgotten. While I would still consider IN HONOR to be my favorite Jessi Kirby novel, MOONGLASS did not disappoint me in the least. I'd highly suggest picking it up to read sometime as summer begins to wind down!

Such a Rush

Such a Rush - Jennifer Echols Summertime is when I bust out contemporary fiction books and SUCH A RUSH was such a pleasure to read outside in the nice weather. Jennifer Echols is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, GOING TOO FAR, so I was very excited about her new romantic drama (and hardcover debut!). My expectations for SUCH A RUSH were high, and I am pleased to say that this book did not disappoint me at all. While I found SUCH A RUSH a bit slower to get into than GOING TOO FAR or FORGET YOU, I thought that this story had more depth than all of her other books. The story was carefully developed and I never felt like I wanted to put it down because I was so intrigued by Grayson's mysterious reason for blackmailing Leah. I was also very drawn in by the tension between Leah and Grayson. While I thankfully could not relate to Leah's life very much, I understood her thoughts and actions and really liked her character. Leah was a refreshingly different character, as she doesn't have a great home life, but rather lives in a trailer with a mother who is constantly running off with new boyfriends. The twin brothers Grayson and Alec were also wonderful additions to this book. Trust me, you want to meet these boys! This book had quite a few steamy scenes in it, and I would classify it as "mature" YA because Echols does not shy away from including sex in her books, which many other YA authors do. As an adult who reads YA books, I loved that she included the intense, steamy scenes, but I know that some readers shy away from this type of content, so I just wanted to mention it. GOING TOO FAR will still remain my favorite Jennifer Echols novel, but this one comes in a strong second. I highly recommend for you to pick up a copy of it to enjoy this summer!

Something Like Normal

Something like Normal - Trish Doller I absolutely loved this book. I’ve been lucky to read some really great standalone contemporary novels recently, and SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL is among the best of them. The book is an excellent, emotional story with strong character development and a sweet romance. Travis, a U.S. Marine, comes home on leave from Afghanistan and is suffering from Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder. He is haunted by hallucinations of his best friend Charlie, who died during service, and he finds that he can't go back to the life he had before joining the Marines because both he and his family have changed. I loved that this book was from the point of view of Travis because male narrators are rare in YA books and his “voice” sounded very genuine. This story was often heartbreaking because we feel all of Travis’s emotions—anger, loss, and guilt—and also witness flashbacks to his time in Afghanistan.The developing romance between Harper and Travis was wonderful, and all of their interactions made me smile. I liked how Harper was wary of Travis (no instant love here because they have a little bit of a history), but Travis was so clearly interested in Harper. I’m glad that Harper was such an awesome female character with a backbone.The cover might suggest that this book is fluffy, but it really wasn’t. SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL had depth with well-developed characters who I continued to think about after finishing the story. The story is short, but very fulfilling. I flew through the book, but I want to re-read it more slowly the next time around to give me more time to process it. I would definitely recommend adding this book to your reading pile!

In Honor

In Honor - Jessi Kirby If you are looking for the perfect book to start off your summer, you need to pick up In Honor. This contemporary novel was an easy read with a wonderful romance in it, but the book was also emotional and had depth to it.The book begins with the funeral of Finn, Honor’s brother, who died while serving in the military. After the funeral, Honor opens the last letter she will ever receive from Finn, and she immediately sets off to California to fulfill a request included in this note from her brother. Rusty, who was her brother’s best friend, joins Honor on the trip uninvited. The book is short at fewer than 300 pages, but was so fulfilling because of its strong character development. I kept thinking about this book long after I finished it, and I wanted more even though the ending was satisfying. While Rusty was a great love interest for Honor and the tension between the two was sizzling, I personally fell in love with Finn, as we learn so much about how caring and protective he was toward Honor. He was truly an ideal older brother. Contemporary YA novels involving road trips with cute boys during the summer are my type of books. In Honor became a new book for me to add to the favorites list. If you have read and enjoyed Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson or Saving June by Hannah Harrington, you will also love In Honor. If you have not read those books, I’d highly recommend for you to check them out along with In Honor this summer. You will not regret it!

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series #1)

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series #1) - Fairy tale retellings aren’t really my thing and neither are futuristic sci-fi novels, so I started this book with much apprehension, not expecting to particularly enjoy it. However, the first chapter captured my attention quickly, and I am very glad that I expanded my reading horizons to give this book a chance, despite my hesitations.Cinder is a cyborg (meaning that she is mostly human, but has some robotic parts) and has the reputation of being the best mechanic in New Beijing. Cinder works to support her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters, Pearl and Peony. Pearl is just as mean as her mother, but Peony is gentle and kind. Cinder is a wonderful protagonist, and I loved all of her sarcasm. I also really enjoyed all of her interactions with Prince Kai, who visits her booth in the market to see if she can repair his android. Cinder had a lot of lines throughout the book that made me laugh out loud, and of course, my favorite parts were when she and Prince Kai were talking to each other.Besides great characters, this story also has a unique setting and an exciting plot. A major plague outbreak in the city has everyone living in fear for themselves and their families because there is no known treatment, while the evil Lunar Queen is intent on gaining power and control over their country through a marriage alliance with the prince. I will say that much of the book was predictable, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.This book is obviously a retelling of Cinderella, but it was one of the most original books I’ve read in awhile. I was hoping for a more wrapped up ending, but am really looking forward to the next book in the Lunar Chronicles.

Crave (Crave (Quality))

Crave - Laura J. Burns, Melinda Metz Confession: I bought this book because I saw that the authors were screenwriters for ROSWELL, a guilty pleasure TV show that I started watching recently thanks to Netflix streaming video. ROSWELL aired on television several years ago and is like TWILIGHT, but with aliens instead of vampires. I purchased CRAVE because I was hoping that this book would be a guilty pleasure read (because sometimes you just need some of those) like ROSWELL is a guilty pleasure TV show for me.The book is entertaining and an easy read, but Shay, the main character, prevented me from completely enjoying it. Simply put, she was annoying and obnoxious. Shay refers to herself as the “Sick Girl” because she doesn’t have the energy to do things other high school teens do, as she has a blood disorder and is in constant need of blood transfusions. However, her new blood transfusion treatments give her major bursts of energy, making her feel powerful and superhuman. As a result of these new blood transfusions, Shay has the energy to rebel and “live for once” and she proceeds to do so many dumb and reckless things to prove that she’s “normal,” without any regard to how taking all of these risks and putting herself in danger would affect her mom and best friend were she to get hurt. I fully understood that she was feeling smothered by the people who were looking out for her, but I had no respect for Shay when she was acting so selfish, bratty, and immature.I did, however, like Gabriel, the vampire love interest in this book. We see depth to his character before officially meeting him because when Shay gets her blood transfusions, she falls into his life and practically becomes him while in a dreamlike state. Gabriel is a character who I felt sympathetic towards, and I was eager to learn more about him.The ending was very abrupt. Similar to how season finales of TV shows always end with cliffhangers so viewers will stay tuned for the next season, this book ended in the middle of a major plot point. I enjoyed the book enough to say that I will be reading the sequel, SACRIFICE, which came out last fall, but I don’t feel the need to read it immediately.P.S. – I think more YA book covers should have faces of beautiful men on them. Forget all of the book covers featuring pretty girls in pretty dresses… I want more book covers like this one!

Passion (Lauren Kate's Fallen Series #3)

Passion - Lauren Kate PASSION is by far my favorite book of the Fallen series (I haven't read the fourth and final book yet, though). I enjoyed FALLEN, but I didn’t bother picking up TORMENT, the second book in the series, until more than a year and a half after it was released, which indicates how the series wasn’t exactly a top priority read for me. I was disappointed with TORMENT because it felt like a "filler" book that didn't add much to the overall storyline of the series. This book, however, really sparked my interest in the series again, so now I am looking forward to reading RAPTURE, the fourth and final book in the series.This installment is very different than books one and two of the series. Luce travels back in time via Announcers to visit her various past lives in an attempt to figure out how to stop the curse surrounding her relationship with Daniel. Some of places and times we visit with Luce include Moscow during World War II, Elizabethan England (the time of Shakespeare), and ancient Egypt, just to name a few. In each visit to a new place and time in history, Luce witnesses the romance that the past “Luce” experienced with Daniel. As a result, we get a historical fiction book involving time travel and an epic romance featuring star-crossed lovers. This particular type of story is exactly the kind of book that I love to read. I felt that PASSION surpassed the previous two books in the Fallen series because it offered much more than a standard paranormal YA romance storyline.What I especially enjoyed about this book is that we finally see some depth and development in Daniel and Luce’s characters. This book made me care about their relationship much more than I ever did before. When I read TORMENT, I actually didn’t mind the idea of Luce getting together with her new friend Miles instead, but now I am rooting for her happy ending with Daniel in the last book of the series.

Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy, Book I)

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is one of those books that I heard about a long time ago (way back before I read any book blogs), but I only got around to reading it recently in my attempt to read through all of the books I've been accumulating on my own bookshelf.The best thing about this book was its atmosphere. The first two lines of the book instantly draw you into the mysterious and gothic atmosphere of the story: "Perhaps because it seems so appropriate, I don't notice the rain. It falls in sheets, a blanket of silvery thread rushing to the hard almost-winter ground." PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS mixes historical fiction with fantasy, and my experience reading it felt very similar to my experience reading Jessica Spotwood's BORN WICKED. The pacing of the story is slow, but I didn't mind because the writing was so lyrical, making me want to savor the words instead of racing through the book. I was also intrigued by the prophecy and wanted to unravel the mystery of it, so I never got bored. Lia's romance with James seemed like it was thrown in as a bit of an afterthought (kind of like, "Well, this is a YA book, so as a rule it must have some romance") and I really wish there was much more development in their relationship, but it does have potential. On the other hand, Lia's relationships with her twin sister, little brother, and friends were very well-written and fully explored. This book is a perfect story to read on a rainy day. I have GUARDIAN OF THE GATE, the second book in the trilogy, on my bookshelf and think I will save it for a day that's kind of gloomy outside because it is a wonderful world to escape into for a few hours when you aren't feeling all that much in a hurry.

Everneath

Everneath - I've noticed that stories based on Greek mythology are becoming a new trend in young adult fiction, but I haven't had a chance to read many of them yet. Everneath was a great book from this genre and has made me excited to seek out other myth-inspired books!This story is inspired by the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice as well as Hades and Persephone. I am not very familiar with Greek mythology, but the author was able to describe the myths clearly so that I could follow along and see the parallels of those myths with the modern retelling very easily (and even predict the ending of the book). I was a big fan of the romance between Nikki and Jack, which was enhanced by all of the flashbacks to their interactions and relationship prior to when Nikki was taken to the Everneath (an underworld). Jack was a very sweet, best friend type of guy, and I was really rooting for him throughout the book. The story also contains a love triangle, as Cole, who took Nikki to the underworld and away from her life on earth, is determined to bring her back down as his queen. Cole is the "bad boy" in this story, but he never became an appealing choice for a love interest for me.I really liked how the story unfolded by switching between the present (the six months that Nikki is granted to say her goodbyes before going back down to the Everneath) and the past (before she was originally taken to the Everneath). I had difficulty putting this book down because the plot kept me engaged and I cared about the characters so I wanted to find out their fates.Just off of the top of my head, I can think of several Greek mythology-based YA books that were published within the past year: Abandon by Meg Cabot, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, and The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter. I read and loved Starcrossed and I really enjoyed this book, so I foresee myself picking up the other titles pretty soon!

Tempest (Tempest Trilogy Series #1)

Tempest (Tempest Trilogy Series #1) - I was very excited to read Tempest because I love stories involving time traveling and don't think that there are enough of them! The first chapter sucked me into the story easily, and I was pleased to discover that I was able to follow Jackson's time traveling events without too much confusion about where we were in time. The book is in Jackson's point of view and reading a story with a male narrator was something different for me because most of the books I read have female narrators or main characters. However, sometimes I thought his voice for a 19-year-old male didn't quite ring true. One particular example that stands out in my mind is when Jackson was about to have sex with Holly for the first time and thought to himself that he couldn't remember the last time he was with a virgin. What on earth? He's only 19 years old! I unfortunately did not care too much about Jackson and Holly's relationship, and because this story was all about Jackson traveling back through time to save his girlfriend, I didn't become as engaged in this story as I would have liked. I found both Jackson and Holly to be kind of bland. The story just wasn't quite the epic romance I had hoped for because I didn't love the characters, but it was full of action that kept me turning the pages. However, I really did like Adam, Jackson's friend and a science nerd/genius who knew about Jackson's secret time traveling ability.The ending was a bit of a letdown for me, but I suppose all of the unanswered questions will be resolved in books two or three. This book has already been optioned to become a movie, and I do think a movie version of this book will be wonderful because the story has a great premise. I enjoy character-driven novels, and while I didn't find the characters in the book especially memorable, I hope and expect that the film actors will make me like and root for the characters in the movie much more than I was able to in the book. I can definitely see this as one of the rare instances where I prefer a movie over the book.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella Here's my secret: I am in my twenties, but for the past two years, I've pretty much only read young adult books. Throughout college and even in high school, I typically read adult fiction, but ever since I started my working years, I've switched almost exclusively to reading YA books with teenage characters. Recently, I was in a bit of a book rut and I wanted something different than what I normally read to help me get out of the slump. Can You Keep a Secret? was the perfect book to do the job, and I felt refreshed after reading this funny and light book with a narrator around my own age. While I typically review just YA books (because, as I mentioned above, that's mostly what I read), I think Can You Keep a Secret? is a good example of a crossover book that would appeal to readers who enjoy YA fiction. There's humor and a good romance storyline that is pure wish fulfillment. Emma is a young professional who is low on the totem pole at work and spills all of her secrets to a stranger on an airplane ride after a disastrous business trip. This stranger, named Jack Harper, turns out to be her company's CEO, and a romance between Emma and Jack follows. The story is very predictable, but lots of fun. I've read one other book by this author: Confessions of a Shopaholic. These two books are very similar, perhaps because the main characters of each novel have nearly identical "voices" and personalities. I thought Emma was a lovable, but somewhat ditzy narrator, and her thoughts and dialogue made me laugh, cringe in embarrassment for her, and cheer her on. After reading this book, I find myself wanting to read more British chick lit. I enjoyed taking a break from books with high school settings to instead read a book with an office setting. I think I might branch out and explore more chick lit soon to mix it up with my standard fare of YA titles. I am very glad that I reached into the back of my shelf to pull out this easy, entertaining read!

Touch of Power

Touch of Power - Maria V. Snyder This book was such a treat to read! I was somewhat hesitant to read this story because while I was a huge fan of the author's Poison Study (which I consider a favorite book of mine), I wasn't much a fan of Inside Out. I need not have worried, as this book reminded me very much of Poison Study, but perhaps even better than it. The fantasy story was full of adventure, as Kerrick and his crew of boys rescue Avry, a Healer, from execution, and take her on a journey to save Prince Ryne. Characters are the most important part of the book to me, and this book contained so many wonderful, memorable characters. Avry is a strong, independent heroine who isn't afraid to make her own choices. She holds her own on the journey with Kerrick and his band of boys consisting of Belen, Vinn, Quain, and Flea. Each of these characters were so endearing, and their interactions with each other made me smile. I had a total soft spot for Belen, who Avry referred to as "Poppa Bear" because he assumed the role as the protector of the group. I really wish it were me traveling with them instead of Avry! The slow building romance made me giddy with excitement. I love stories in which the girl and boy start off not liking each other much, but then slowly fall in love. Readers who are tired of instant love will enjoy watching Avry and Kerrick's relationship bloom over time. Despite loving this book, I am slightly disappointed to hear that this will be a series. The ending did leave some questions unanswered, but I felt like this would have been a good standalone story. I am also fearful that the following books in the series will not live up to this first book's awesomeness. This is how I felt with Poison Study--I absolutely loved Poison Study, but was kind of bored by the sequel, Magic Study (perhaps that was due to the fact that Valek, the swoonworthy love interest, was not very present in it), and haven't gotten around to reading Fire Study yet. However, I am very excited to be able to revisit many of the lovable characters from Touch of Power! Because I was absolutely incapable of putting this book down, I also purchased the audiobook version so I could continue to "read" the story while running errands and doing chores. If you are new to audiobooks and want to give one a try, I would recommend listening to this story because the narrator was a good match for Avry's voice and did a great job differentiating the characters with different accents. I really hope you decide to pick up this book, and if you do, I am extremely jealous that you get to read it for the first time!

Bloodrose (Nightshade Series #3)

Bloodrose - Andrea Cremer I think this is my favorite book in the Nightshade trilogy because it contained more action than the preceding books and because I already knew the characters well so it was easy to fall back into this world. In almost all of the early reviews that I read, readers were upset or angry about the ending, so I went into this book fully expecting to not like the ending either. However, I am happy to say that my imagined ending was much worse than the actual ending, and I don't feel too disappointed by the story's conclusion. Bloodrose is full of both Ren and Shay, so readers who were saddened by the lack of Ren in Wolfsbane should get a pretty good Ren fix here (especially with this one scene a little more than a third of the way through the book featuring him in a towel... just saying!). Shay fans need not fear, either, because he is also very much present in this book, as he is the crucial key to winning the "war." I've never really liked Calla, but I love her friends. For me, the best part of this book were all of the supporting characters. Connor was my favorite and his dialogue was always making me laugh. I found myself much more interested in the various romances between the supporting characters than I was with Calla's own love triangle. I also felt like the resolution for Calla's love triangle was somewhat of a copout because while the beginning of this book stressed the importance of choice, the circumstances kind of dictated the ending instead.I have enjoyed all of the books in the trilogy, but I wouldn't count the trilogy as a favorite series. Because I wasn't completely invested in Calla's love triangle, I think I was able to accept and feel satisfied with the ending much more easily than readers who strongly felt that Calla should have ended up with a particular boy, but didn't get the ending that they wanted. P.S. - I dare you to count the number of "snarls" in this book. I predict that you will lose count very quickly. We get it, Calla, you = wolf!

Snowed In

Snowed In - Rachel Hawthorne I don't have the highest expectations for these type of quick "romantic comedy" books because I know going in that they will be fluffy, cheesy and predictable. I actually have been very disappointed by the others that I've read in the past because they have been way too silly. However, I was really in the mood for a wintry read on the last day of my winter vacation (*sniff*), so I picked up this tiny book from my shelf and decided to give it a shot.I was pleasantly surprised by Snowed In and thought that it was a cute read that was a step above from the other "romantic comedy" novels I've tried in the past. The story was a fun way to pass a couple of hours. And it sure made me crave lots and lots of fudge! (Note to self: find candy store nearby soon!)As expected, the plot was very predictable, but when are romantic comedies not predictable? In the middle of winter, Ashleigh moves to a snowy island where her mom plans on running a bed & breakfast inn, and Ashleigh develops a major crush on a boy who is already in a relationship. Will they ever be able to get together and live happily ever after? I'm sure you already know the answer. Even though the story and characters were not particularly memorable, I still did enjoy this easy, feel-good read. Don't expect this book to change your life, but have fun reading it with lots and lots of hot chocolate if you decide to curl up with it this winter!

Instructions for a Broken Heart

Instructions for a Broken Heart - Kim Culbertson From the summary of this book, I expected the story to be a fun contemporary romance where an American girl meets and falls in love with a cute Italian boy on her trip to Italy. However, to my disappointment, this was not at all what the book was about, as there was very little romance in it. The storyline instead focused on how Jessa "discovers herself" in Italy after breaking up with her boyfriend right before the trip, and I have to admit that these type of self-discovery books really are not my thing. When I was in high school, I went on a very similar trip to Italy that Jessa experienced--it was a ten day trip with about fifteen or twenty other high school students where we hit all of the country's hotspots (Rome, Venice, Capri, etc.) and traveled on a bus to get from place to place. My similar travel experience helped me relate to this book because I was fondly remembering my own trip while the travel group in the story went from city to city, but I didn't feel like the settings were described well enough to fully transport me back to Italy. There were some characters in this book who I really liked, such as her best friend, Tyler, but the book fell flat because of the boring storyline (and I didn't care much at all about what the various envelopes from her friend back home said). Maybe I would have enjoyed the book much more if I wasn't so misled by the summary and didn't have any expectations about what type of story it would be. Instructions for a Broken Heart was not a bad book, but it did not live up to its potential. One final warning: it might cause you to crave pasta and gummy bears!