Burn for Burn (Book Review)

Burn for Burn

Author(s): Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Number of Pages: 368
Release Date: September 18, 2012

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

********************************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

I read this book when it first came out and just finished listening to the audio version. Both times I found Burn for Burn to be an immensely readable book. It was something I was drawn into immediately. The story revolves around 3 teenage girls--Mary, Kat, and Lillia who live on Jar Island. Jar Island is a "real island" (you have to take a ferry to get on it) that is made up of a few small towns that share one high school.

Mary is the "new girl" in town, kind of. She used to live on the island, although she went to a Montessori school on the mainland. She used to be overweight and was bullied at her old school. When a particularly bad event occurred, her parents moved her away from the island for a few years. Now she is back to attend Jar Island's high school and living in her old house with her aunt.

Kat is an outsider at their school. She's the "bad girl". She is friends with a couple of guys, but her only real friend is a 20-something who lives on the mainland. She was hooking up with one of the popular boys over the summer, but now that school is starting that seems to have ended.

Lillia is the "popular girl". Rich and pretty, she seems to have it all, but she has some definite issues. For one, her best friend is an awful person. Also, something truly horrific happened to her at the end of the summer (that is barely touched on).

What these three girls have in common is the need for revenge. The story follows the three of them finding each other and opening up some whup-ass on those that have done them wrong. Of course, revenge is always messy.

This next part **May contain mild spoilers** STOP READING if that is a problem for you.

While I enjoyed Burn for Burn, it is not without its problems. One, the magical element that started creeping in halfway through the book was weird and awkward. It came out of nowhere and didn't really fit in with the rest of the story. Because this is only book one, I'm sure this element will be delved into deeper in the coming books, but it felt out of place. Two, one of the people on whom they were getting revenge was obviously innocent. If they would have just talked to him/her, the whole mess would have been cleared up. Three, for real what happened to Lillia was just glossed over in a way that felt both insensitive and wrong. If it was something that didn't really affect her (strongly) then why even have it happen? Finally, the ending just left me cold the first time I read it. I know that series have to hook their readers to make them want to keep reading, but, for me, it was too abrupt. Because I knew it was coming, it didn't bother me as much on the re-read, and now I'm just excited to start the second book.

Overall I really did enjoy this book. The writing was quick and easy and I was invested in all three characters and I'm always a sucker for revolving POVs. What I liked about it definitely outweighs what issues I have. 

Read More

Stacking the Shelves (6)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews. This meme allows us to share the books we've recently added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! *Clicking the link of a book's title will take you to Goodreads.

E-Book ARCs

         

      

The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Robin Palmer
This was billed as "Gilmore Girls meets Postcards from the Edge crossed with L.A. Candy". Sounds good to me.
The Original 1982 by Lori Carson
Another novel of two parallel views of what would have happened if a young woman would have made a different decision. Very Sliding Doors. 
Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
Early reviews have been pretty positive, so fingers crossed.
Crime of Privilege by Walter Walker
I love books/movies/tv shows about the inner workings of America's richest and most influential families. 
Ooh La La! by Jamie Cat Callan
This just looks cute. I love that cover.
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
I know this blog is new, but if you've been following me at all you've probably come to realize that I am an absolute sucker for a cover featuring girls chilling on the beach. A side effect from growing up in Wyoming, I guess.

What I snagged from the library

           

              

         

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

I've heard great things about this one, so I'm excited to read it.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

Ok, so I'm not sure why I pre-ordered this from my library because I couldn't get past page 50 of Beautiful Creatures (and I tried, like, 3 times). The cover and synopsis looked/sounded so interesting. Early reviews have been dismal and tell me that I'll be lucky to even get to 50, but I'm gonna give it the old college try.

Crash by Lisa McMann

I really like this cover. The fire reflected in her eyes, the pretty green eyeliner. About a girl who envisions an accident over and over. I got the Playaway and it's only 5 hours long.

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando

Another Playaway. About an all-day scavenger hunt. It sounds fun.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jesse Rothenberg

A girl dies of a literal broken-heart and has to go through the 5 stages of grief in order to move on. Another Playaway. Um, I recently discovered them and may have gone a little overboard in my ordering. Thank God the library's free!

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

I haven't read any reviews for this one, yet. I've heard it has some twists and turns, so I want to go in blind, but I've seen quite a few 4/5 star ratings, so I'm excited. I love a good twisty book.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

This isn't my normal cup of tea, but it looks good and I've heard positive things.

The Monstrumologist  by Rick Yancey

I ordered this book after reading Courtney's review over at Courtney Reads a lot.

That's it for me this week. What about you? What did you get that you can't wait to dive into? Link me up.

*Followers and comments are welcome and much appreciated. If you leave a comment, please also leave your link so I can come visit you. I'll always try to follow those who are following me, but if I somehow forget you, please just let me know. Happy reading!

Read More

We'll Always Have Summer (Book Review)

We'll Always Have Summer

Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Number of Pages: 291
Release Date: April 26, 2011

My Rating: 1.5 out of 5

**Synopsis contains spoilers for the first two books in the series**

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

*********************************************************************

This whole review is going to be FULL of spoilers. Not only for the first two books in the series, but for this book itself. This book was released two years ago and is the final book of a series whose first book was released in 2009. In this review I'm going to be discussing what made this book so problematic for me which I am unable to do without giving away some MAJOR plot points. Please don't read this review if you have any interest in reading the book or the series...

You've been warned.

I was pretty late to the party on this series. I read the first one in 2011, two years after it was released; the second in 2012, two years after it was released; and just finished this book yesterday...two years after it was released. I can't really explain why it took me so long to read the second and third book since both had already been released by the time I picked up the first in the series. I obviously cared enough about the characters to finish their story, but I never really connected with it and picked this book up just to find out who she ended up with. I had my clear favorite (like anybody who reads a trilogy that is literally just about a love triangle). 

Like the synopsis states, Jeremiah and Belly have been together for the past two years, pretty much since her and Conrad broke up (because it's super healthy to jump right into another relationship when your heart's been broken...especially with the dude's brother). The two attend the same college along with Belly's best friend. Jeremiah has joined a frat and the two are attending a party at the beginning of the story when Belly overhears a girl bragging to her friends about she and Jeremiah had hooked up in Cabo (or wherever) over Spring Break. Belly is obviously furious. It turns out that Jeremiah and her were "on a break" (um, seriously, was the author watching Friends when she wrote this), so maybe it wasn't technically cheating, but the "break" was only for the week that he was gone and Belly told him she knew the entire time that they would get back together, so how could he not have known? Blah, blah, blah. So Belly goes home and cries and ignores his texts for, like, a day, and then Jeremiah comes over and proposes and Belly says...yes. 

And this is where the entire novel broke down for me. If I had read this book when I was a teenager I may have been swept away by the romanticized view of marriage, but as an adult and as a married woman, I couldn't help but scoff at the idea. It's impossible for teenagers to understand how hard marriage is. I'm sorry. But it's the truth. I'm happily married. I love my husband, but marriage takes a lot of hard work (as evidenced by the almost 50% divorce rate). I cannot even fathom marrying somebody who (1) was 18 (2) I'd never lived with and (3) whom I'd never had sex with! Listen, I'm not judging when a girl/woman should lose the big V. I'm not. Who a girl sleeps with for the first time (for the 100th time) is important and personal and should never be judged by anyone else. But. But the fact that Belly would still a virgin rang false to me. Her reason for never sleeping with Jeremiah was that there hadn't been "the right time." In two years. It wasn't because she was religious or had some other deeply held belief about saving herself. She just wanted it to be special. Which is fine. It should be special, but if in two years there hasn't been the right time, then it is because it isn't the right guy. How could she not see this? Why would she want to marry somebody who she doesn't even seem attracted to? 

Belly and Jeramiah announce their upcoming nuptials at dinner with her mom and his dad and, of course, her mom freaks out saying she's too young to get married and orders Belly into her car, which Belly does, because she doesn't have anywhere else to go because school's out for the summer and she lives in the dorm! If you are too young to have your own place, you are too young to get married. Period. 

My biggest issue with this book isn't even that Belly is about to marry Jeremiah even though my preference has always been Conrad, my biggest issue was the complete and udder lack of joy about the book. The novel (and, let's be honest) the whole series is full of angsty drama. But this one is the worst offender. It's clear from the beginning that this entire wedding is a mistake. A rash decision after an argument that has steam-rolled out of control. Belly doesn't even seem happy about the choice she's made. In this final installment, Jeremiah's character is immature and impulsive. He's joined a frat, he cheated on Belly, he wants their wedding song to be "You Never Can Tell" (*sings offkey*...It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well...you know, from Pulp Fiction), he wants to live in the nosy, party apartment with the "cool" landlord, not the quiet apartment in the neighborhood populated by mostly older people that Belly's attracted to, he has bad credit because even though his father pays his credit card bill, he got himself a different credit card and has been late on his payments "a couple of times." This characterization is to show that they truly aren't ready to get married. With each transgression, you can see Belly start to question their decision, as she should, but it just made the novel trying and joyless.  

After Belly's mother refuses to support the decision, Belly runs away to the beach house (of course) and finds that Conrad is also living there for the summer (of course). Jeremiah is uneasy about this, but has to stay in the city during the week for his internship. Nothing happens between Belly and Conrad, but you can feel the pull of the two characters towards each other. Belly knows that at least a part of her still loves Conrad, even though she loves Jeremiah, too. Conrad finally mans up and admits that he still loves Belly, too. Leaving her to make a decision once and for all of which brother she is going to choose. 

I thought this novel was a mess. I listened to the Playaway version of this novel, which only added to my dislike. The narrator had a pretty annoying voice to begin with, but then she would occasionally slip into this, like, "little girl voice", that just grated on my nerves. The audio book was just shy of 7 hours, but it felt like 100. I couldn't wait for the book to just be over, but I felt like I had just gotten too far into the book and the series, to stop listening. The book ended on a satisfying note, but by that point it was way too late to salvage the book for me. 

I truly do enjoy Jenny Han's writing. Earlier this week I listened to Burn for Burn, her collaboration with Siobhan Vivian, (which I'd already read the print version of) and really enjoyed it. I'm very excited to start the second book of that series, so it definitely isn't the author. I will continue to look for her books, but this particular book just wasn't the one for me.

As I'm sure many of you know, it's hard to write a review about a book you didn't like that is much beloved by the rest of the reading community. I'm most definitely in the minority here as evidenced by the many, many 4 and 5 star reviews I see when I look at my friends ratings. (So, please don't hurt me.)

Read More

How My Summer Went Up in Flames (Book Review)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Number of Pages: 320
Release Date: May 7,2013

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

**********************************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first started How My Summer. I'll be honest, sometimes when I'm on Edelweiss I won't even read the synopsis of a book if the cover seems like something I'll enjoy. I judge books by their covers. I do. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Sometimes I'm wrong and sometimes I'm right. If I hear enough good things about a book whose cover I don't like I'll go back and read it, but I'll almost always pick up a book if I like its cover. So I saw this one (cute shoes, polka-dot shirt, convertible, sunny skies, the word summer in the title) and went, yep, this is going to be one of my almost-summer reads.

How My Summer starts with our heroine, Rosie, being served with a temporary restraining order from her ex-boyfriend, Joey, after she accidentally set his car on fire. What happens was that Rosie saw Joey and his new girlfriend (a Freshman girl he had cheated on her with) at an end-of-school party. Rosie got seriously pissed so she took a box of Joey's things over to his house and set the box on fire in his driveway. She didn't mean for anything else to happen, she certainly didn't mean to blow up his car, but no she has been slapped with the TRO for her actions (and also for "stalking" since she can not stop herself from texting and calling him constantly, too). 

Her neighbor, Matty, is there when she receives the TRO and comes up with a solution. In a few days he has plans to drive across the country with his friend, Spenser, and Spenser's brother, Logan, who is going to the University of Arizona (or Arizona State--or some other university in Arizona--one of those) and has to go early to start his program. Matty and Spenser plan to make the drive with Logan and then fly back to New Jersey. Matty convinces Rosie's parents that Rosie should come with them to get herself out of dodge and away from Joey. After Rosie and her best friend are busted doing a drive-by of Joey's house minutes after she receives her TRO, her parents agree with Matty, much to Rosie's dismay. 

So she finds herself in the car with the 3 boys as they set out West. Spenser has their whole trip mapped out, down to the pit-stops, and Rosie finds she not going to have much say in the matter. So she finds herself in places she doesn't have much interest in (but that I think sounds awesome) like a cave in West Virginia, the Grand 'Ole Opery and Graceland (how could you not want to go to Graceland?). The road trip aspect was definitely one of my favorite things about the book. I've driven all over the United States and love stories that talk about places I've seen, and places I haven't yet. Along the way Rosie starts to contemplate her actions and what has landed her in this car to begin with. 

I thought How My Summer was ok. It certainly didn't blow me away, but it was entertaining enough for what it was. I struggled with liking Rosie's character. She makes some seriously stupid choices throughout the book and spends a good amount of time slut-shaming her replacement (calling her a slut and a whore, etc). There were hints of something more throughout the book with all 3 of the boys in the car, even though she is just getting over a serious relationship with somebody that hurt her badly. I liked Rosie's character arc and thought the writing was fast-paced, but ultimately didn't really connect with her which made me not really care what happened to her. 

In the end I would recommend How My Summer if you are looking for a quick summer book that highlights a road trip, hints of romance, and a real, if frustrating, heroine.

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Read More

Waiting on Wednesday (6) Conjured

Waiting on Wednesday  is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

Title: Conjured
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Walker
Release Date: August 27, 2013


Synopsis from Goodreads:

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

**********************************************************************************

Why I'm excited:

Um, because of the words magic-wielding serial killer!!! She dreams of a carnival tent. She shelves books at her local library. She has strange powers. I'm pretty sure Sarah Beth Durst somehow read my mind  and came up with the most amazing synopsis of a book ever. (Maybe she has strange powers!) For real, this book sounds like it was made from awesome-sauce and I cannot wait to get it in my greedy little hands. I liked this author's novel Drink, Slay, Love so I definitely have some high hopes. (And is the serial killer Pinhead from Hellraiser? Because that would explain the acupunctured heart. 50 points if you get that reference.)

What about you? What book are you anxiously waiting for on this lovely May day? Leave me a comment below.

*Followers and comments are welcome and much appreciated. If you leave a comment, please also leave your link so I can come visit you. I'll always try to follow those who are following me, but if I somehow forget you, please just let me know. Happy reading! 

Read More

Top Ten Tuesday (6) Top 10 books dealing with tough subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today plus links to a whole slew of other blogs. After you read mine, of course.

Todays Topic is: Top 10 Books about tough subjects



 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
This book is completely unrelenting. Rape, alcoholism, drug use, cutting, and murder...
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I was blown away the first time I read this beautiful novel of a woman's descent into insanity.
The Cranes Dance  by Meg Howrey
The mental breakdown of a ballerina whose sister recently suffered a mental breakdown. This book is told by a deliciously unreliable narrator.
The House on Mango Street   by Sandra Cisneros
The stories that it tells are ones of child and spousal abuse, social rights, gender and race issues, independence, self-discovery, family, and cultural identity.
The Descendants    by Kaui Hart Hemmings
This lovely little book (and the movie based on it) follows a man whose wife is in a coma...and he's just found out she was cheating on him.

 

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
About a girl coming to grips with her addictions.
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

This is one of the most original and funniest books about cancer (I'm aware of how that sounds) you'll ever read.
How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper
This story follows a man in his late 20s getting over the death of his wife while dealing with his teenage stepson.
Winger by Andrew Smith

One of my favorite books of the year so far (my review went up yesterday). This book is funny and real and heartbreaking. Please look past the ugly cover, it's awesome.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
Five beautiful sisters commit suicide leaving the boys of their community baffled.

So what about you? What are your top books dealing with tough issues? Link me up.

*Comments and followers are welcome and much appreciated. Please leave your link if you leave a comment so I can come visit you. I will always try to follow those who are following me, but if I somehow miss you, please just let me know. Happy reading!

Read More

Winger (Early Book Review)

Winger

Author: Andrew Smith
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Number of Pages: 448
Release Date: May 14, 2013

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

***********************************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

I was initially turned-off by this cover when I first saw it on Edelweiss. Then I started seeing 4-5 star ratings pop up and words like "hilarious" were being bandied around, so I went back and downloaded it. And I am so, so glad I did. Winger is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. It is funny and honest and heartbreaking and just...wonderful. 

Winger follows Ryan Dean West, or "Winger", an extremely intelligent 14 year-old junior attending a private boarding school. Ryan Dean is a winger on the rugby team (hence the nickname). This gives him a coolness factor another boy who skipped two grades may not have. Ryan Dean has landed himself in "Opportunity Hall" (the dorm for so-called troublemakers) after hacking a teacher's cell phone. O-Hall is filled with boys older and bigger than he is. His own roommate, Chas Becker, is one of the biggest bullies in school, but luckily on the rugby team with Ryan Dean. Soon Ryan finds himself connecting with the other boys in O-Hall, especially Joey, a un-stereotypical gay boy who is also on the rugby team (and who is easily one of my favorite characters).

Ryan is in love with the beautiful Annie whom he considers his best friend. While she obviously cares for him, too, at 16 she has a hard time seeing the 14 year-old as anything other than a kid. Ryan Dean does everything he can to break down her defenses and the novel is filled with those sweet little moments that are so poignant at that age.

Even though Ryan Dean is in love with Annie, he cannot help but hook up with the ultra-hot Megan, who just happens to be his roommate's girlfriend. He knows this is a bad decision, of course, but he's 14.

Other cast members include his former roommates/rugby teammates, JP and Seanie. Seanie is a hilarious character who does thinks like posts balls on their football nemesis' FB page. JP and Ryan Dean have a bit of a falling out when it becomes apparent that JP is trying to make a move on Annie.

I truly adored this book. Ryan Dean's voice was so authentic. I loved him. He is funny and self-depreciating and real. I loved the comics and graphs that he draws that are interspersed throughout the novel. This book made me laugh out loud, but it made me cry too. Don't let this (seriously ugly) cover fool you, this book is filled with awesome-sauce and you should definitely pick it up.

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.*

Read More