Category Archives: Realist Fiction

audiobook

April 11, 2014 posted by Nichole

Audiobook Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2) by Stephanie Perkins

“You’re going to fall in love with Lola and the Boy Next Door. Madly in love!”
-Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have)
Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit-more sparkly, more fun, more wild-the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket-a gifted inventor-steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy
next door.

My Review:

When I first started to listen to the audiobook of Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, I hated it. The narrator, Shannon McManus, kept speaking in really choppy sentences. It seemed. More like. She was. Talking like this. It drove me bonkers. I actually thought that I was just going to have to return the tape without finishing it because it was that bad. Thankfully, the narrator quits speaking like that fairly soon and starts speaking like normal. After that, the book became awesome.

I loved Lola as a main character. She was spunky and had an unique and individual personality that I related to very well. She did whine a lot, which was pretty annoying, but other than that I was a big fan of her. The real star of the show, however, was Cricket Bell. Holy smokes was that boy to die for! Cricket was just the type of boy that every girl wants to end up with. Considerate, not too clingy, but not a bad boy either, handsome, and educated. He also cared for Lola, which was obvious from the very moment that he was introduced.

Another perk that this book had was that Anna and Etienne were in it! They were the main characters in Anna and the French Kiss. They actually had a fairly large role in this book. I loved the moments with Etienne! He just cracked me up. I also loved the chance to watch their relationship grow and to have it clarified that they were still together.

What I didn’t like about Lola and the Boy Next door was the fact that Lola was already in a relationship with her boyfriend Max. Stephanie Perkins has an annoying habit of making at least one of her main characters unavailable in her books, and I’m sick of it. It would have been different if that didn’t already happen in Anna and the French Kiss, but I didn’t want to read about it again. She also has an annoying habit of making those relationships last until almost the very end of the book. In her next book, I really want to see something different. Maybe an epic romance that starts at the beginning.

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It had the perfect light romance feel to it, and I was able to visualize everything in my head. I don’t know if I would ever want to read or recommend the actual print copy of the book. I feel like the books themselves are pretty light and don’t go very many places. That’s not to say that it’s not an amazing book. I mean, I am giving it 5 stars! But….I just feel like it’s something that is better to listen to than to actually read.

Length: Approximately 8-10 hours

Publication Date: October, 2011

Publisher: Listening Library

Rating: :

Blog Tour

March 25, 2014 posted by Nichole

Blog Tour: Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell

Title: SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS

Author: Bethany Crandell

Publisher: Running Press Kids

Pages: 256

Pub. Date: April 1, 2014

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Cricket Montgomery has been thrown under the short bus. Shipped off to a summer camp by her father, Cricket is forced to play babysitter to a bunch of whiny kids—or so she thinks. When she realizes this camp is actually for teens with special needs, Cricket doubts she has what it takes to endure twenty-four hours, let alone two weeks.

Thanks to her dangerously cute co-counselor, Quinn, there may be a slim chance for survival. However, between the campers’ unpredictability and disregard for personal space, Cricket’s limits get pushed. She will have to decide if suffering through her own handicapped hell is worth a summer romance—and losing her sanity.

About Bethany:

I wish I had some mysterious secret to reveal about myself in hopes that you’d find me interesting…but I don’t. When it comes to me, what you see is what you get. And what you get is an irreverent, sarcastic and emotional girl who writes stories about characters with these same traits.

I live in San Diego with my husband, two kiddos, and a chocolate lab who has no regard for personal space. I’m slightly obsessed with John Hughes and the wonderful collection of films he left behind, and I’m confident that Jake Ryan will be showing up on my doorstep any day now…

I firmly believe that prayer solves problems, and that laughter is the best medicine. Along with avocados. Avocados make the world a better place.

I’m represented by Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch Literary Agency.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

My Review:

Have you ever been around a handicapped person (either mentally or physically) and felt nervous? Uncomfortable? Frightened? Disgusted? Maybe a little bit ashamed of yourself for feeling that way? If you have, don’t feel like the worlds worst person in the entire world. Chances are that most people have felt that exact way at least once in their life. The main character in Summer on the Short Bus, Cricket, feels that pain when she gets shipped off to a summer camp for handicapped children. To say she is uncomfortable and slightly disgusted is an understatement, and if she has her way she’ll be on the next ride out of freaksville.

Over time, Cricket begins to learn that being a little different doesn’t make you a freak or a weirdo. Yes, the kids at camp look different than she and the rest of the camp counselors do, but they are no less loveable or wonderful. They’re just like her on the inside. So what if they look different on the outside? Summer on the Short Bus is an eye opening novel that details just how important every human being is, whether “normal” or “abnormal”, and brings about the growth of one ignorant little girl and turns her into a believer.

This book….my goodness…….hmm…..powerful. That’s the word that I want to identify with this book. IT IS POWERFUL. And so freaking true! I’m ashamed to admit it (see first paragraph) but I also felt a little uncomfortable during my initial stages of this book. I felt uncomfortable reading about handicapped children. How awful of a person does that make me? The one thing that spurred me on and made me feel less like an asshat from Hell was Bethany’s constant message in this book that being afraid or uncomfortable around handicapped people does not make you a horrible person. It’s normal behavior. Quite frankly, it’s normal behavior because most people don’t experience that on a day to day basis. To put it frankly, handicaps are abnormal in today’s society as a whole and people fear the unknown. I’m happy to admit that I eventually grew to love every single member of that camp and wanted to hug every single one of them. It didn’t matter that they were handicapped or a little different! And that was the message that was constantly thrown in my face during this book. Those kids were normal people with a different outside. And I loved them. I loved this book. I loved the messages. Now look at me rambling.

The one thing that I wasn’t a big fan of (I lied, there’s actually two things) is the relationship between Cricket and Quinn. This book really didn’t call for a romance, and I felt that that whole thing kind of took away from the book. Not only were they super insta lovey, but I hated Cricket for 80% of the book (until she stopped being an utter bitch) and didn’t want to see her happy AT ALL. Their relationship took up a big chunk of the book that I thought should have been dedicated elsewhere. Another thing I didn’t overly like was the mystery that starts coming up toward the last half/end of the book. Again, it wasn’t really necessary and took away from the book. I thought that the whole thing should have been dedicated to the campers and Cricket’s growth. There were just a few too many different things going on in the story.

Summer on the Short Bus is a book that I would hand one of my students in a hot second. I think that it’s a book that every child should be forced to read for their own personal growth as human beings. Have you seen the way kids treat each other? Have you seen the way kids treat people, small or large, that have handicaps? HORRIBLY. That’s how they treat them. Believe me, kids will laugh at the handicapped children in this book at first, but they NEED to read/hear the messages that are repeated over and over in this book. This book is, yes, powerful. It’s also something that our society needs to read about. I loved this book. Screw the things I didn’t like….I just loved the overall message. More please!

Rating: :

Tour Schedule

Week One:

3/24/2014- Swoony Boys Podcast- Interview

3/25/2014- YaReads- Review

3/26/2014- Fire and Ice- Guest Post

3/27/2014- Fiction Freak- Review

3/28/2014- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview

Week Two:

3/31/2014- Curling Up With A Good Book- Review

4/1/2014- Sweet Southern Home- Guest Post

4/2/2014- The Reading Date- Review

4/3/2014- Bookish- Interview

4/4/2014- Once upon a twilight- Review

Giveaway Details:
2 Summer Camp Survival Packs and Signed copies of the book! US Only.
3 sets of signed swag! US ONLY

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Book Reviews

March 8, 2014 posted by Nichole

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in “the Kool-Aid Kid,” who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.

Oh my God….this book……my heart……THE FEELS! I have so many emotions and thoughts over this book. It broke my heart into tiny little pieces over and over and OVER again. It was SO BEAUTIFUL! Dude…I don’t even LIKE contemporary books that much, but this book? This book will forever be one of my favorites. It had so much meaning…..so much depth. It was just……..perfection between pages.

The two main characters, Alexi and Bodee, were absolutely heartbreaking. It killed me to read about the things that troubled them. I just wanted to hug them close and never EVER let them go. Especially Bodee. Oh my sweet goodness, Bodee. He is at the top of my fictional male characters list. The best thing about Bodee was that he absolutely had his flaws. He wasn’t perfect, and he embraced that. But he sure tried to be. He tried to be perfection and support for Alexi. That boy……that boy……just talking about him makes me want to cry.

And Alexi? Her troubles ripped my heart into shreds. She made me cry my eyes out and try to reach her through those thin pages. I’ll warn you guys that rape is a big topic in this book. That might be a huge trigger for some people. I thought it would bug me…..it didn’t. Not at all. NOT AT ALL. Courtney C. Stevens took such an intense topic and made me FEEL. THE FEELS, PEOPLE!

One of the best things about this book is that if you think you know what’s going on there’s a good chance that you’re wrong. I sure was. I thought FOR SURE that I knew what was going on. I knew who raped Alexi and who was causing her to close in on herself. I didn’t. I admit defeat! I was wrong. And I love this book even more for that.

I’m going to cheat a little here and let you all know that this book DOES have a good ending. I have to say that, because I wanted to quit this book because I didn’t want to see Bodee get hurt. I didn’t want to see anyone get hurt. I loved the book way too much for that. But it DOES have a good ending. I was happy with the way things turned out.

If I haven’t convinced you to read this book, then I don’t know what will. This book is the definition of perfection. Go buy it today!

Pages: 336

Publication Date: February 25th, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Rating: :

Blog Tour

March 7, 2014 posted by Nichole

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there’s only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother’s best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek…with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart’s interests-even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart’s simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all…

Buy links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

About the Author:

Liz Czukas is a freelance writer (on sometimes sad or boring topics), and also writes books for young adults (which are rarely sad and full of kissing). Before that, she was a nurse and she still kind of misses starting IVs.
She lives outside Milwaukee, WI with her husband, son and the world’s loudest cat. She types too loud (according to her husband), spends too much time on the Internet, and can’t get enough of disaster movies. There is *always* a song stuck in her head, and she once won a hula-hoop contest.

Media

My Review:

What a cute contemporary read! Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas is filled of nonstop high school drama, twists and turns, and adorable friendships and romances. It is the PERFECT read for contemporary lovers.

I was a really big fan of the main character, Heart. She made me laugh out loud several times and just gave the book a laid back, snarky feel. It was definitely a relaxing and entertaining read! The supporting characters were equally as entertaining. I really felt like I was at a high school prom watching all of these unique personalities play out in front of my.

Ask Again Later has a sort of Pivot Point by Kasie West feel in the sense that it goes back and forth between two different paths that Heart can take. For the most part I really enjoyed that, but there were times that I was like UGH…just stick to one path! It got kind of confusing at times, but it was fun to go back and forth of what could be.

The relationship between Heart and Schroeder ( I think that’s how you spell his name) was absolutely stinkin adorable. I was a BIG FAN of that relationship. They were just so flipping cute! I can definitely see him making it on to top boyfriends lists at the end of the year.

For me, personally, Ask Again Later was maybe a bit too young for my taste. The characters seemed a little younger than they were actually portrayed, and I often thought that this was more of an MG title than a YA title. I think it’s actually kind of a mixture of both. If I compare it to contemporary YA books as a whole, then I have to admit that Ask Again Later is definitely on the younger side of YA. It’s something that I could see younger kids and huge fans of contemporary YA reading.

Ask Again Later is a book that could be read in an entire setting. It’s addicting and a feel good type of read. Definitely a book that sparked my interested and is making me say hmmm….maybe I’ll just pick up more of Liz Czukas’ books in the future!

Pages: 336

Publication Date: March 11th 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Rating: :

Giveaway
The giveaway is US and the prizes are
-One annotated ARC of Ask Again Later + Swag
-One finished copy of Ask Again Later + Swag
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Book Reviews

February 12, 2014 posted by Nichole

The Lure - Lynne Ewing

From the bestselling author of the Daughters of the Moon series comes a gritty, sexy novel about a teen who is forced to become a “lure”-a beautiful girl who is used to lure victims of gang violence.

Fifteen-year-old Blaise Montgomery lives in the gritty outskirts of Washington, DC, where a stray bullet can steal a life on the way to school. Drugs and violence are the only ways to survive, so Blaise and her friends turn to gangs for safety, money, and love. When Blaise is invited to join Core 9, one of the most infamous crews, she jumps at the chance. Though her best guy friends, Rico and Satch, warn her about the danger, she agrees to be beaten for a minute straight as part of the gang’s initiation ritual.

Now Blaise is finally part of a crew. A family.

But things get only more dangerous when she becomes a member of Core 9 and tensions with a rival gang heat up. Trek, the head of Core 9, asks Blaise to be his “lure,” the sexy bait he’ll use to track down enemy gang members and exact revenge. Rico and Satch tell her it’s a death sentence, but Blaise can’t resist the money and unparalleled power. As Trek puts Blaise in increasingly dangerous situations, she begins to see that there’s more to lose than she ever realized-including Satch, the one person who has the power to get under her skin. With death lurking around every corner, should Blaise continue to follow the only path she’s ever known, or cut and run?

I’m being totally honest here, when I first received The Lure in the mail, I didn’t want to read it. It was contemporary, about gangs, and I knew that someone was going to be killed off at some point in time. Three things that really don’t capture my interest all that much. I was a sucker for the cover, though, and I decided to pick it up and give it a shot. And, man, am I glad I did.

The Lure is one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching books that I have ever read. I laughed, I cried….I wanted to throw the book across the room several times. Needless to say, this is one that evokes so. many. feels. Seriously….if you’re a big contemporary fan…make sure that you have some tissues handy. There were times when I was reading this book that I actually wondered if Lynne Ewing went undercover as a gangster to write this book. I don’t know how she did it. Honestly…I don’t know how to do anything but gush about this book. It was just so good!

Every single character in The Lure was spot on. I was surprised at how head over heels in love I fell with some of the characters simply because they were gangsters up to no good, and I didn’t think I could like anyone like that. I was wrong. I loved them. I’m a little ashamed to say that I even loved the bad guys. Not because they were bad, but I loved them because they felt so real. That’s the thing. Everyone in this book was so real. I often forget that I was even reading a book.

I could sit here and talk about every single aspect of The Lure but all you’re going to hear me say is how great it is. It was such an amazing book. I really really really really hope that there’s a sequel! I guess covers do say a lot about a book, because if it wasn’t for the cover I probably wouldn’t have read it….and let me tell you….this was awwwwesome! Go pick up your copy today!

Pages: 288

Publication Date: February 11th, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Rating: :

Book Reviews

January 13, 2014 posted by Nichole

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

One word describes No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale; Creepy. And of course, being the brilliant person that I am, I mostly read this book at bedtime when it was dark outside and I could have the crap scared out of me. It was so vivid, so beautifully detailed, so fucking creepy. Holy smokes. I had to actually give myself lectures to not dream about scarecrow stuffed girls hanging from a tree before I went to sleep. Yes, I really just said that.

No One Else Can Have You is one of the best mystery books that I have ever read in the YA genre. With many mystery books, the plots are very obvious and predictable. No One Else Can Have You left me hanging until the very last second. Sure, I had suspects in my head, but I never really knew who did it. I guessed who it was before they were introduced at the end but that’s only because it was pretty much laid out for the reader by then. One could complain that the killer was one of my original suspects from the very beginning of the book. However, I kind of pushed them aside and thought that it was between a few other people. My only complaint is that the final showdown felt a little rushed. I would have preferred a little more time dedicated to that since almost 350 pages were dedicated to trying to figure out who did it. I also would have liked one final confrontation with the killer at the ending of the book. I felt that they had more to say, and I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to hear it. Maybe there will be a second book? I feel that this could either work as a standalone OR as a series.

On a more negative note, I did have two complaints with No One Else Can Have You. First, I didn’t like Kippy. I actually couldn’t stand her. She didn’t come off as a 16-year-old to me. She seemed a lot younger and really immature for her age. There were some times I struggled with the book, because it was just so hard being in Kippy’s head all the time. Secondly, I had a really hard time with the accents of the characters. Everyone came across as very uneducated and hickish. It was very difficult for me to like or connect to any of the characters, because I just couldn’t stand them. It was almost like every single character had something a little wrong with them. The writing itself was beautiful, but the characters were just way too annoying for my taste.

The best part of No One Else Can Have You was Kippy’s adventures and her mission to find out who really killed her friend. I may not have liked Kippy very much, but I sure did suck this book down fast. I felt like it was always holding me in suspense. I just couldn’t wait to figure out what was going to happen next. There was nothing tame or mild about this book. It was an in your face roller coaster ride that just left my heart pounding. I loved it. I loved the suspense and the tiny bit of horror to it. It scared the crap out of me. I love being able to say that about a book.

I will warn readers that there will be parts of this book that absolutely piss you off. Everyone is against Kippy finding her friends killer. They think she’s crazy and that she’s just having a mental breakdown. The things that are said and done to her in this book left me fuming. It was really difficult not to skim through those sections because they just made me so angry. At the same time, those parts are necessary for the book. It’s a brilliant book and those scenes really add to it. But they will make you so mad. You have no idea until you actually read it. There’s also a really weird section toward the end of the book. Power through it. It will be worth it!

Fans of Romily Bernard MUST read this book!

Pages: 384

Publication Date: January 7th, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Rating: :

Book Reviews

January 2, 2014 posted by Nichole

No Surrender Soldier - Christine Kohler

A young man, an old soldier , and a terrible injustice. Should the punishment be death?

Growing up on Guam in 1972, fifteen-year-old Kiko is beset by worries: He’s never kissed a girl, and he thinks it’s possible he never will. The popular guys get all the attention, but the worst part is that Kiko has serious problems at home. His older brother is missing in Vietnam; his grandfather is losing it to dementia; he just learned that his mother was raped in World War II by a Japanese soldier. It all comes together when he discovers an old man, a Japanese soldier, hiding in the jungle behind his house. It’s not the same man who raped his mother, but, in his rage, Kiko cares only about protecting his family and avenging his mom – no matter what it takes. And so, a shy, peaceable boy begins to plan a murder. But how far will Kiko go to prove to himself that he’s a man ? Based on a historical incident, No Surrender Soldier is the story of a boy grappling with ancient questions of courage and manhood before he can move on.

No Surrender Soldier is a powerful read, but I have to admit that I was pretty bored throughout the whole thing. It reads as a historical nonfiction book. I don’t know if that was the ultimate plan, but blah. I felt like I was reading an assigned book for class. I could tell that the writing itself was strong, but I just need more adventure and connection to the characters than this book offered.

I really enjoyed that the main character was not your typical white character. It offered diversity and insight to a whole other culture. No Surrender Soldier is a book that I will be quick to recommend to all student age children to immerse themselves in other cultures/religions/mind frames. However, it is not a book that I would recommend to a huge YA lover. It’s more of an educational read.

The characters in No Surrender Soldier were also spot on. Everyone had their own individual voices and personalities. In books like this one, I often worry that the characters will just sort of blend in to each other. That wasn’t the case at all. As I said before, the writing was very strong. It just…..fell a little flat for me.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this one, but I think this is a genre that I will be staying far away from. No Surrender Soldier is a book that I would recommend teachers and parents supply to their students/children, but it’s not a book I would offer up to the YA community.

Pages: 208

Publication Date: January 1st, 2014

Publisher: Merit Press

Rating: :