Category Archives: Realist Fiction

Guest Review: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Book Reviews

July 30, 2013 posted by Nichole

Guest Review: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Hi Everybody! Welcome back!

Nikki over at Fiction Freak has stopped by today to share her review of Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn. I just received this book recently, and I”M SO excited to read it! Take a look!

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Charm and Strange. It honestly didn’t sound like my kind of book, but I was curious despite that. But this book ended up being a lot more Strange than Charming.

And, yet, I couldn’t get into this book. I would start it, then set it aside, start it again, and set it aside once more. It was just a little…dull. I really couldn’t get into it. Not to mention that once I did really start reading it, I couldn’t really understand what the hell was happening.

And you guys. SORT OF SPOILER: This isn’t really a werewolf book. I honestly don’t see why people are labeling it that. THERE ARE NO WEREWOLVES. Although that may be confusing once you start reading. And actually, I was confused a lot. Maybe it had something to do with the writing. Which, by the way, was absolutely gorgeous. It really was! Beautiful prose and vivid imagery-but instead of becoming alluring (okay, it was a bit alluring), it was just…sort of awkward for me, although that may only be me.

Charm and Strange definitely had a gritty feel to it that I enjoyed, but I felt like a lot of it could’ve been cut out and it wouldn’t have mattered to the story. In fact, I didn’t really understand the role of Jordan, one of the secondary characters. She didn’t really add anything to the story besides standing by and sort of supporting him? But honestly, Lex, our other secondary character, could’ve done that on his own.

The resolution was brilliant though and the revelation, though sort of obvious, still somehow shocked me. This really wasn’t a book to me, but it seems I’m one of the odd ones out! I’d still definitely give it a go if you think it sounds your style!

Pages: 213

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Rating: :

Book Reviews

July 1, 2013 posted by Nichole

Dirty Little Secret - Jennifer Echols

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

As someone who used to claim that she hated contemporary books, I have read SO many of them this year. And it just so happens that it was Jennifer Echols that made me fall in love with contemporary. I remember reading Such a Rush last year, and all the feels that it made me have. It is probably one of my top ten favorite books. So, obviously, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her upcoming book, Dirty Little Secret.

Dirty Little Secret is about a fiddle player named Bailey. Since she was just a little girl, her parents have dragged her and her sister, Julie, around to gigs in the hopes that they would get noticed and get a record deal. And one day that does happen….but only for Julie. Bailey has been excluded from the record deal, and her parents have demanded that she quit music altogether so that she does not mess up Julie’s career.

Since Julie got her record deal, Bailey has spent the last year screwing up and doing everything in her power to disappoint her parents. But after a car crash that involved drugs, Bailey has been cast out of the family to live with her grandfather. And if she messes up just one more time, her parents won’t pay for her college tuition.

Bailey’s grandfather gets her a gig at a mall, where she ends up meeting Sam. Convinced of her talent, Sam persuades Bailey to join his band on some gigs. Afraid of her parents threat, Bailey is terrified to perform with the band, but her love for music and her new found feelings for Sam convince her to live just a little. But with everything that’s going on in her life lately, Bailey isn’t quite ready to allow Sam in her life once and for all.

Jennifer Echols’s writing style is so freaking beautiful. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read, and every single time she makes me feel so many damn feels. Whether it be crying over Such a Rush or screaming at the stupid parents in Dirty Little Secret, I always have so many emotions going through me. I don’t think that I could ever DISlike a book by Jennifer Echols. I don’t even think that it is physically possible. However, I will say that this book pissed me off probably more than it should have.

My first issue with Dirty Little Secret was the stupid ass parents in the book. I hated them so much that it made it really difficult to enjoy the book at times. Seriously….what kind of parents ditch one kid to fawn over another? WHO DOES THAT?! They treated Bailey like absolute shit. They told her to give up her music…something that she loved more than anything!…and then they threatened not to pay for her college tuition if she didn’t listen to them. Now….not that my parents can afford to pay for my college tuition. I mean…most parents can’t, and I have a pretty decent chunk of student loans, but they would NEVER do that to me. I mean…maybe I had so many issues with the parents, because I’m freakishly close with my mother, but I HATED THEM. I would scream at my book, I would slam it shut and refuse to read any more of it for awhile, I would vent. I would just get so damn mad at this book because of the stupid parents. I have to stress that this is NOT bad writing! I mean….I think that it’s pretty amazing writing to get me so damn upset over a character. But they just made me so mad!

Another thing is that I hated…hated hated HATED Sam. I found him to have very abusive behavior. Abuse isn’t always physical, and I just found him to be a crybaby who was emotionally screwing up Bailey to get his own way. Bailey went along with it, too, which upset me even more. So the romance in the book was a major miss for me. It’s really hard when I find myself not enjoying several characters. Loved the writing……wanted to bash in several faces.

There were some negatives in the book for me, but there were also several positives. First, I LOVED that this book was set in Nashville. I don’t know if any of you have watched the television show, Nashville, that premiered this year. I love it. It’s probably my favorite television show this year…if not one of my top favorite shows ever. I’ve never been a huge fan of country until Nashville, and now I can’t get enough of it. Dirty Little Secret had the perfect setting. The perfect atmosphere. The perfect music. The perfect everything. I was in love with what this book was about. And Bailey’s a freakin FIDDLE player! How cool is that?

Although I didn’t enjoy some of Bailey’s decisions, I actually really liked Bailey herself. She was very laid back, and she was very easy to follow and get along with. It was a bit difficult at times, because I really hated Sam, but I enjoyed her throughout the whole book.

Dirty Little Secret is the first New Adult book that I’ve read all the way through. I’ve been seeing some crazy talk out there about new adult books, and I don’t really understand the issue. I mean…yes…there were some more advanced romance scenes…but it’s a new adult book. It wasn’t porn or erotica. Maybe not something you would want your little kid reading, but nothing too major or that any teenager hasn’t heard of already. I actually enjoyed the more advanced scenes, probably because I’m almost 23 and it’s nothing I haven’t heard of before. Personally, I wasn’t offended, and I think that a lot of people are going to enjoy the new adult genre.

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone. I am a huge Jennifer Echols fan, and I’m going to read every single book that she writes. Even though I had some problems with this book, I still liked it. Yes, I hated the parents, Sam, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending of the book, but I love her writing. Definitely read this one once it comes out!

Pages: 288

Publication Date: July 16th, 2013

Publisher: MTV Books

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: ” I sidled forward and put my hand in the pocket of his jeans. Feeling warm as his eyes widened, I shoved my fingers as far down as they could reach into his tight jeans and fished out his guitar slide. I placed in on his middle finger and lifted his hand to my eye level so I could see my tiny, rounded reflection, then brought my lipstick out of my own pocket and reapplied it.

He laughed. “You have style, Bailey.”

“I ain’t nothing but class,” I agreed.

Book Reviews

May 21, 2013 posted by Nichole

All I Need- Susane Colasanti

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

All I Need is a book that I have been dying to read. Not only are the cover and synopsis gorgeous, but it totally radiates a Spring/Summer feel. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the book. I’m not going to even rate the book, because I found it a little painful to read, and it’s not fair of me to judge it when I only got about 50 pages into it. But I am going to share my thoughts on it with all of you.

My first major complaint with All I Need was the relationship between Seth and Skye. They meet in the first chapter and decide they’re soul mates by the second. They knew each other for a whole two days, and then Seth goes off to college without saying goodbye. Any normal girl..or guy for that matter…would get. over. it. But, no. Skye is moping around 2 months later about a guy she knew for about 48 hours. Obviously Seth will come into her life probably a little later on in the book…but I honestly didn’t even make it that far. I didn’t find Skye..or Seth..to be very good role models. I wouldn’t want my kid reading this book and thinking that’s how they should act.

Another thing that bothered me is that I was really confused by how all of the teenagers acted and spoke to one another. I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of teenagers are freakin annoying. Not all of them! But some. It hasn’t been that long since I was a teenager…and trust me…I annoy myself thinking about it. But most teenagers don’t act the way that they are portrayed in this book. I thought that it was very exaggerated from an adults perspective.

I didn’t get very far in this book, so I cannot critique the middle or the ending. Things might have picked up later on, but I could not bring myself to finish. I think that younger teenagers may appreciate this book, but I would not recommend it to adults at all.

Pages: 240

Publication Date: May 21st, 2013

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Rating: N/A

Book Reviews

May 6, 2013 posted by Nichole

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie’s looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she’s caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie’s own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

The S-Word is probably the most haunting book that I have read this year. That says a lot since I read If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, and I thought that was as haunting as it could get this year. The S-Word is sort of told from two perspectives, but the most dominant voice is that of the main character, Angie’s. Angie had caught her best friend, Lizzie, with her boyfriend, Drake, on prom night. After that, Lizzie became a social outcast, and she was bullied so much that she ultimately committed suicide.

Not a week after Lizzie’s death, entries from her journal start circulating around the school. Angie decides that she wants to know who and what caused Lizzie’s death. Who caused her to jump off of that building? Who started the bullying? Why did they think it was their right? How could they be punished? Those were only some of the questions going through Angie’s head, and she was on a mission to seek justice for her best friend.

Along the road to find out what all happened to Lizzie, Angie discovers new friends and enemies and opens up secrets long hidden. She discovers things that she would have never guessed about the people around her, and her best friend, Lizzie. The S-Word is an eye-opening, heartbreaking, and haunting read that will stick with readers, young and old, for as long as they will remember.

Chelsea Pitcher’s writing style is so unique and beautiful; I was hooked right away. It did take me quite awhile to finish this book, but that didn’t have anything to do with the quality of the book. No, it was actually pretty tough to read about a lot of the things that happen in this book. I work with kids from daycare to 4th grade, so I’m pretty sensitive when it comes to child abuse and child suicide. Those are huge factors in this book. It made me a little uncomfortable, and I will admit that I had to skim a lot of this book, because I just could not read about those things. This is something that I need to warn people about because some of the topics in this book might be uncomfortable or might hit a trigger for certain people.

I loved the mystery that surrounded The S-Word. So many things were happening at once, and I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. I did guess a couple things, but others floored me. I think that readers will really enjoy this. Everyone loves a good mystery that they can’t guess the answer to right away. Like I mentioned above, though, the mystery can get a bit scary. I had to really put myself in the right mind frame to continue on and solve the mystery, and even then it was too hard for me at times.

There were a couple negative notes for me in this book. First, I didn’t really care for either Angie or Lizzie. Angie was a little weird. She also seemed very dependent on men and very needy. Her relationship with Jesse was awkward and uncomfortable at best. I just didn’t care for her. As for Lizzie, it wasn’t so much that I disliked her, because she’s dead. All that’s really being shown of her are back flashes. It was actually Lizzie’s journal entries that I didn’t like. I haven’t met a teenager who writes like that. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, but her writing was very outdated and old. Very lyrical and poetic in an old fashioned sense. For the most part, I ended up skimming her journal entries, because everything she said was just repeated in the next chapter.

It was also pretty hard to read about some of the topics in this book. It’s not just a book about bullying. You have rape, child rape, child abuse, neglect, bullying, poverty, gender issues, suicide, etc. That was too much for one book for my personal taste. This is realistic fiction, though, so I can’t really hold any of that against the book. But those are only some of the major issues that are going on in the book. It was just too much.

Even though I have some complaints with this book, I still loved it. I’ve never actually been able to say that I loved a book when I skimmed a large amount of it, but I did. I only skimmed, because I couldn’t bear to read about certain topics. I’m a wimp…I don’t deny it. But the writing and the intensity that Pitcher brings to this book are outstanding. I don’t know how she physically and emotionally got through writing this book, but it is beautiful.

Overall, I would recommend that every contemporary fan go read this book. If you are uncomfortable with any of the topics mentioned above, you might decide to stay away from it. I said before that this book was haunting, and I wasn’t kidding. I finished this book at 1 a.m., and that was a horrible decision on my part. I had the hardest time sleeping after reading that last half of the book. It’s spooky, but it’s addicting. This book releases tomorrow, so make sure you go get your copies.

Pages: 304

Source: Finished Copy provided by the publisher

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: May 7th, 2013

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “I don’t so much as jumps as

Just

Fall

Off.

I’m halfway to the ground when your eyes finally meet mine in recognition.

You step out of the way just in time.

Barbie Girl (Baby Doll #1) – Heidi Acosta

Book Reviews

May 2, 2013 posted by Nichole

Barbie Girl (Baby Doll #1) - Heidi Acosta

The only thing that 17 year old Barbie Starr wants to do is graduate high school so she and her little brother, Everett, can get out of Alabama. She doesn’t care about the rumors that are spread around about her like wild fire. Rumors are nothing new to her. Sure, maybe she could change her reputation, but why bother. She is leaving Alabama as soon as she can. That is, if she can pass algebra and graduate.

The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.

But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?

Barbie Girl is a light and fresh read that also broke my heart over and over again. It’s about a girl, Barbie, who basically lives a horrible life. She lives in a run down trailer with a druggy for a mother, an autistic brother, and a reputation as the biggest slut in her high school. It doesn’t matter that she’s never been with a guy before. Nope. All that matters to the other kids in her school is how she looks. And since she LOOKS like a slut, she just must be one.

On the verge of failing her math class and having to stay an extra year in high school, Barbie gets Dylan Knight to tutor her with the promise of getting his long time crush, Katie, interested in him. But hanging out with Barbie is bad for Dylan’s reputation, and he wants nothing to do with a skanky girl like her. The promise of finally getting Katie to notice him, though, is too much to resist, and Dylan soon relents.

Barbie is aware that Dylan pretty much hates her guts, but that’s not going to stop her from passing math and graduating high school so that she can get the hell away from that place. But before she knows it, Barbie starts to develop feelings for Dylan. Barbie Girl is told from both Barbie and Dylan’s POV and explores the topics of bullying, labeling, love and abuse.

I found myself instantly hooked to Barbie Girl. I especially loved Barbie’s character. Barbie reminded me a lot of Leah from Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. She lived a shitty home life and was ultimately trying to make something of herself. Her home life was heartbreaking. My only wish is that the book would have been more about her home life. I wanted more emotional scenes. I got some, sure, but I didn’t really hit the point where I was a blubbering mess.

Barbie Girl also talks a lot about bullying and labeling. If you follow my reviews, you might have picked up on the fact that I love that kind of stuff in books. Those types of topics are so real…so raw…I can’t get enough of it. It was pretty hard to go through an entire book with everyone labeling Barbie as a slut…and even having Barbie consider herself one when she really wasn’t….but it was beautifully executed. Those topics are not going to be for everyone, though. So be warned.

The one downfall of Barbie Girl was Dylan. I didn’t just dislike Dylan, I hated him. Throughout the entire book, he was a total jerk to Barbie. He didn’t even want to be in the same room as her, because he was terrified of his precious reputation. He wasn’t even a popular kid! Even toward the end of the book, he was still acting like a jerk. I know that this is a series, so I’m assuming that Dylan’s character matures a lot in later books, but he didn’t in this book. There were several times during Dylan’s POV that I just had to skim the pages. The writing was still amazing, but Dylan’s character was just too much for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Barbie Girl. It was a great first book, and I’m really interested in continuing the series. I would recommend that all contemporary fans go read this simply for Barbie’s story. Beautiful!

Pages: 189

Publication Date: November 1st, 2012

Rating: :

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True – Sarah Strohmeyer

Book Reviews

April 23, 2013 posted by Nichole

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True - Sarah Strohmeyer

From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl’s summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they’ve hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she’s assigned to serve “The Queen”-Fairyland’s boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe’s job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

Cousins Zoe and Jess have landed an internship at Fairyland Kingdom, a theme park full of WOW, fairy tale characters, love and mystery. With Zoe struggling from her mother’s recent death and Jess’s financial problems, this is supposed to be summer of absolute bliss. Except it’s not. First, Jess gets cast as Little Red Riding Hood instead of her much desired Princess, and then Zoe gets stuck being the lady in waiting to the evil queen who runs the park! Now Zoe is waking up at the crack of dawn to serve her Majesty, taking care of a highly pampered dog, running off into the Forbidden Forest, and trying her best to do a million things at once.

It’s safe to say that Fairyland Kingdom is nothing at all like Zoe imagined, but it gets even weirder when some random prince saves her from sinking into oblivion in the middle of the Forbidden Forest! Now Zoe must struggle to maintain her duties, find the prince, and keep her job all at the same time!

You guys, I don’t understand my contemporary kick lately, but I thought that How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True was absolutely adorable! It had such cute characters, a witty and hilarious plot, and such a sweet romance! I can see how someone would find the book to be maybe a little too cheesy, but I had a very hard time setting this one down.

What I loved most about this book was the fun aspect to it. All of the interns had to play fairy tale roles, and it just brought this light and breezy quality to the book. There were a couple moments in the book were I raised my eyebrows at the slight cheese factor, but it didn’t really matter. The book was just too cute!

I LOVED Zoe’s character. I hate when I pick up a book and I can’t stand the main character, but that wasn’t the case at all with this one. I loved her from page one, and I was sad when I had to part with her at the end of the book. She was strong, hardheaded, brave, and loyal all in one tiny package. Likewise, I also really enjoyed most of the supporting characters, especially the evil queen. Everyone really got into their roles. It almost felt like I was in an episode of Once Upon a Time.

Did you see the most I added up there? Yeah….I didn’t really care for the guy that Zoe sort of ends up with. Actually, I didn’t really care for any of the guys in this book, which would have annoyed me more if I counted it more as a romance than a fun, fairytale, fantasy type of book. This isn’t anything that took away from the book, but I could have done without it.

Mystery and Suspense are all over this book even though it’s a light and fun read. I honestly thought I knew who the mystery prince was like two times, and then BOOM, I was wrong. I will say that my initial guess of the mystery prince was correct, so I give myself credit for that, but I loved not having everything just handed to me on a platter. I was forced to use my mind and really think about what was going on, and I love being wrong every now and then!

The ending of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True was a slight disappointment for me, because it went in a different direction that I wanted it to. I would say that it starts deflating a little bit around the last 5 or so chapters, but it does pick up on the very last chapter. I wouldn’t let that deter you from reading the book, though, because it was well worth the read!

How Zoe Made Her Dreams Mostly Come True is a great Spring/Summer read that every contemporary fan needs to get their hands on. I sucked it down in a matter of days, and I’m still a little bit in mourning a week later. How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True hits bookstores today, so go get your copy!

Pages: 320

Publication Date: April 23rd, 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen

Rating: :

Book Reviews

April 19, 2013 posted by Nichole

The Kissing Booth - Beth Reekles

Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular-and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile-and a total player. And also Elle’s best friend’s older brother…

When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school’s Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer-this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak.

But will Elle get her happily ever after?

When I first picked up The Kissing Booth, I fell in love. The story is about Elle, a sixteen (almost seventeen) year-old girl who has had a crush on her best friend Lee’s older brother, Noah, for as long as she can remember. Being on the school council, Elle and Lee have to create a booth for the school carnival. So, of course they decide on a kissing booth!

After years of fighting her attraction for Noah, Elle finally gets her first kiss from him at the kissing booth. Now she must come to the realization that Noah has feelings for her, but she also must fight the attraction so as not to jeopardize her friendship with Lee. What will Elle choose?

I swept through about 75% of this book in a matter of hours, and I completed the rest of it shortly after., and it really all comes down to Noah. He is so freaking gorgeous! I would be about to put the book down, and then Noah would make an appearance at the end of a chapter, and I just HAD to read more about him. Ladies (and guys!), if you are looking for a new YA book crush…this one is for you! (Goodreads doesn’t have The Kissing Booth labeled as a new adult book, but it totally is. There is sooooo much steam in this book. I loved it!)

Some people might end up having a problem with The Kissing Booth, because they might think that Elle and Noah’s relationship was a bit of a abusive/dangerous relationship. You don’t have to verbally or physically abuse someone to abuse them, and neither of those things happen in this book. However, Noah is very protective and commanding. Personally, I did not have a problem with the book, but I can definitely see why some people would be a bit uncomfortable with that type of relationship.

My big big big big complaint with The Kissing Booth was the relationship between Elle and her father. I hated the father, and I found them to have a very odd and uncomfortable relationship. I’m sorry…but most teenage girls are not going to tell their dad that they spent the night in a hotel room with a guy they’re not even dating. Also, the dad was a jerk. I hated reading about him.

As a couple, I loved Elle and Noah. I thought that they were super cute. I couldn’t get enough of them. However, Elle started to massively get on my nerves toward the end of the book, because she just couldn’t make up her mind! One minute she wanted Noah, but then the next minute she didn’t. And that didn’t just happen once! It happened a million freaking times! And since Elle could never make up her mind, I didn’t get to see Elle and Noah’s relationship hit the level that I thought it deserved.

I loved this book so much, but I was not a big fan of the ending. After falling in love with Noah and Elle, I was left crushed when it was time to say goodbye. Supposedly, Beth Reekles is creating a sequel to The Kissing Booth. If that’s the case, it needs to have a better ending than this one did. For the most part, this book was 5 stars. It was the last 100 pages of the book that docked it down to a 3.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and fresh…and totally a summer read! I would definitely recommend that all contemporary lovers give The Kissing Booth a chance!

Pages: 448

Publication Date: May 14th, 2013

Publisher: Ember (Random House)

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “Wow. Death by books. That would have been some way to go.”

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