Twenty Boy Summer Review

Title: Twenty Boy Summer

Author: Sarah Ockler

Pages: 304
 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

My Edition: Hardback

Reading Level: Young Adult

Borrowed from: the library

Summary from Goodreads: 
"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer. 

Review:

Twenty Boy Summer was a heartwarming, sweet, honest story about a girl who loses her best friend and first love in a freak accident and then has to live and overcome their secret love. The coming-of-age story consists of loss, love, and friendship which combined together made for a beautifully, well written story. The beginning starts off with a very sad description of the tragic accident and was so emotional that it made me cry. The title seems to allude that it will be all about dumb, boy crazy girls but was much more than that. The author described an amazing story about two best friends grieving the loss of a loved one who are just trying to find themselves again. The cover goes perfectly with the story and is just so pretty!

Anna, Frankie, and Matt were all best friends, but after Matt's death everything changes. Anna was in love with Matt but had to keep it a secret until Matt told his sister Frankie, but when he dies before being able to tell his sister, Anna doesn't know how to deal with the loss and their secret. Frankie and her parents keep their feelings to themselves and have stopped talking to each other altogether. 

Several months later, Frankie drastically changes from being shy and reserved to an outgoing and boy crazy girl. When Frankie comes up with a plan to hook up with twenty boys, ten guys each, over their beach vacation, Anna dislikes idea but goes along with it to satisfy Frankie. Over the course of their vacation, Frankie goes from guy to guy while Anna starts to fall for a guy and begins to release her feelings for Matt each day. Anna and Frankie's vacation story was exciting and pretty fun to read about and not as sad and somber as the beginning.

The relationship between Anna and Frankie was strained at times, but they were truly best friends. Matt's death in a way brought them together and helped both girls learn more bout themselves. I loved Twenty Boy Summer much more than I expected, and I read it in about one sitting because it's impossible to put down! Their story made me long to swim in the ocean, to soak up the sun, and to meet a fun, summer guy. Twenty Boy Summer is Sarah Ockler's debut book, and I absolutely can't wait to read her next book Fixing Deliah Hannaford when it comes out this fall. If you looking for a fun, amazing, summer read, then I would start reading Twenty Boy Summer right away because you will not regret it!

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (34)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for The Julian Game by Adele Griffin! My sister's name is Julian, so I was intrigued to find out more when I saw the name on another blog. I looked it up on Goodreads, and the summary sounds really good. I'm excited to read it when it comes out this summer on August 26, 2010!

The Julian Game 
By: Adele Griffin

Description from Goodreads:

New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage.

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

Adele Griffin’s riveting novel explores the issues of generation Facebook: the desire to be someone else, real versus online friends, and the pitfalls and fallouts of posting your personal life online for all the world to judge. 

The Cinderella Society: A 2010 Debut Author Challenge Review

Title: The Cinderella Society

Author: Kay Cassidy

Pages: 336
 Publisher: Egmont USA

Publication Date: April 13, 2010

My Edition: ARC Paperback

Reading Level: Young Adult
Challenge Read For: 2010 Debut Author Challenge

Received from: won from Kay's blog!

Summary from Amazon: 
Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Review:

The Cinderella Society was such a cute, funny, and a highly original Cinderella story. It starts off with introducing the main character Jess who has moved many times is used to being the "new kid". She doesn't fit in and is a social outcast until she is picked to become apart of the Cinderella Society. Jess becomes a Cindy whose mission is to keep the Reggies safe from the Wickeds. That may sound sort of weird and lame but believe me it's totally not, it's brilliant.

The plot was just so original and great...I loved it! The Cinderella Society is my new favorite Cinderella type story because it's definitely not your typical version with the evil stepmom & daughters and the happily ever after. It was so much better than that because they are a society which really cares about improving the lives of the members and the regular people.

The characters were another part I just loved. Sarah Jane (Jess's TCS Big Sister) was probably my favorite character because she a kind, honest, nice, and down-to-earth person. Also, Jess was a great heroin that I could really connect with. I didn't agree or like some of her decisions, but in the end she really started to understand her role and turned things around by being herself again. The relationship she starts after her TCS makeover was very entertaining but of course complicated. Their relationship was a little irritating at times because he could be a little mean and selfish. After hearing his side and his feelings, I finally understood his character and started to like him and Jess together.

The ending was great, but it has a cliffhanger for a sequel(s). I can't wait to find out what happens next in the sequel with will come out next spring! The cover is adorable and fits the book perfectly. I can't believe this is Kay Cassidy's first book because it is so amazing and well-written. The Cinderella Society is definitely one of the cutest, funniest debut novels of the year. I highly recommend picking up a copy today (it just came out this April 13)!

Rating:

IMM (31)

IMM was started by The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is where I post the books/swag I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, or ect. The book titles are linked to their Amazon pages. These are the books I got this week:

WON FROM CONTEST:

The Sweethearts' Knitting Club by Lori Wilde (Signed Paperback)
~Won from Princess Bookie's Contest Craze, thanks Lori and Cindy!~

FOR REVIEW:
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus (ARC from author)
Forget You by Jennifer Echols (Signed Galley from author)

FROM THE LIBRARY:

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (Hardback)
Ambition by Kate Brian (Paperback)*
Revelation by Kate Brian (Paperback)*
Impossible by Nancy Werlin (Hardback)
* = read already : )

Bought but not listed (not book related):
Avatar DVD (one of the best movies ever!)
Lifeguard Suit and purple whistle!

What books did you get this week?

Titus and Atreus Review

Title: Titus and Atreus: 
Series: The Angel Saga Book One

Author: Meridi Myers

Pages: 336
 Publisher: Hero Publishing

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

My Edition: Signed Paperback
Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Young Adult

Received from: Meridi Myers for review

Summary from Amazon: 
Grief-stricken by the loss of his parents, Titus Attwater is convinced his life will never improve. His older sister ignores his calls, his grades in school have plummeted, and his house, once a place of warmth and security, is now lonely, cold, and alien. But when a young man appears one night in Titus's house, claiming he came in upstairs through the full-length mirror, Titus's life gets turned upside-down. For, as Titus soon discovers, this intruder is not from Earth. Against his will, Titus is kidnapped and taken to another world, a place like Earth but markedly different. It is here where he will befriend angels, face assassins, and help a young prince unravel a prophecy that proves much darker and more twisted than any of them had imagined.

Review:

Titus and Atreus was an interesting fantasy novel that was very unique and different than many other YA fantasy novels. I really liked the idea that each person has a twin soul living on another planet. Also, it was very cool how Atreus's and Titus's lives were connected even though they lived on two very different planets: their girlfriends have the same birthday, they lost their parents on the same day, broke their leg at the same time, and many other same occurrences. The characters were all very intriguing and special in their own way, and I really loved all their unique names.

The plot was slow at times but was very easy to read and follow. It took me awhile to finish only because I just got distracted with other books I was reading. The only problem I had was I kept mixing up and even forgetting who some of the characters were, but I really liked how the author switched up the locations in the book because it always kept things interesting. A little romance was in the book (which I always love reading about), and the end especially was filled with it. The angels in Titus and Atreus were very funny and entertaining, and I really enjoyed the relationship they had with the main characters. My favorite characters were Juno who is Atreus's and eventually Titus's bodyguard and Myra who is Atreus's love because they were nice, strong, good characters!

The ending was just so perfect and happy. I loved it because it just was the best ending possible for the book. It was very surprising and finally revealed the outcome of the prophecy between Atreus and Titus. I really enjoyed Titus and Atreus, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the saga when it's released. Meridi Myers did a fantastic job on her debut novel, and I really recommend reading her first book!

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Real Live Boyfriends which is the fourth book in the Ruby books by E. Lockhart! I loved all the Ruby Oliver books, so I can not wait to see what other hysterical drama Ruby will get into. I'm very excited to read it when it comes out this winter on December 28, 2010!

Real Live Boyfriends: Ruby Oliver Book 4

By: E. Lockhart

Description from Goodreads:

Ruby Oliver, the neurotic, hyperverbal heroine of the The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The Treasure Map of Boys, is back!

Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.

Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists?
(No to that last one.)

Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival.

Private Books 7 and 8: Ambition and Revelation Mini Reviews

 Titles: Private Books 7 and 8: Ambition and Revelation Author: Kate Brian
Pages: 279 and 288
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: May 6, 2008 and September 16, 2008
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Borrowed From: the Library

 

Ambition (Book 7) from Amazon:
The higher you climb, the farther you have to fall.... Reed Brennan knew being elected president of exclusive Billings Hall would change her life. What she didn't count on was being dumped by her boyfriend, Josh Hollis, or being held responsible for a fire that destroyed Easton Academy's oldest building.

And now the administration wants to shut Billings down. Forever. As president, it's up to Reed to save Billings Hall. What better way to win over the head­master than to host a glam fund-raising event in New York City? Everyone needs a date, and the newly single Reed is the most eligible girl on campus. All of Easton's hottest boys are angling to take her out, and for once, Reed's biggest problem is which one to choose.

Reed has never felt so popular or powerful -- until the police start asking questions about Cheyenne Martin's death. Excited party buzz quickly turns to whispered rumors and dark moods, and one thing becomes clear: There is someone who wants to see Billings, and Reed, go down. And they will do anything to make it happen. 

Revelation (Book 8) Summary from Amazon: 

The biggest mystery of all...and Reed is dying to learn the truth. Two months after Cheyenne Martin was found dead in her Billings House dorm room, exclusive Easton Academy is rocked by another stunning revelation: Cheyenne was murdered. No one knows who the killer is, but everyone agrees that Reed Brennan, who took over Cheyenne's role as Billings's president, gained the most from her death. Once the most powerful girl on campus, Reed is now powerless to stop her classmates' accusing whispers. Rumors begin to swirl that she killed Cheyenne.

And just like that, Reed is kicked out of Billings. She's lost everything -- her friends, her home, her boyfriend -- and Reed knows the only way to get it all back is to figure out who really murdered Cheyenne. And she has to do it fast because the killer is still out there. The more Reed investigates, the more she uncovers. And as any Billings Girl knows...secrets can be deadly. 

Review of both books: 

Oh my, how much I'm I addicted to the Private series? I'm so addicted that I read both in less than a day and read each in less than two hours! I just got the 7th and 8th at the library last night and finished them this morning during school. I just love all the drama between Reed, her friends, psycho murderers, schoolmates, and the Billings Girls. The cliffhangers at the end of all of them are very hard not to have the next to read right away. 

Luckily, there are several out right now I haven't read yet, and all of them are at the library just waiting for me to check them out! I'm definitely going to the library to get the next few, and then I will read the second book in the spin off series, Privilege. I know the Private series may not be for everyone, but I really recommend giving them a try! 

Ambition and Revelation were just filled with tons of unexpected events. Unfortunately for Reed, the presidency turns out to be the worst thing that could've happened to her. The mystery of who killed Cheyenne is solved and so is the totally unexpected revelation of who the murderer/stalker really is and who she is related to. Of course each ending just left craving for more, so that is why I finished them so quickly. The ending of Revelation was totally crazy, and it left off with a very dramatic and scary way. I'm so excited to read the ninth one in the series, Paradise Lost! 

Rating:

IMM (30)

IMM was started by The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is where I post the books/swag I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, or ect. The book titles are linked to their Amazon pages. These are the books and/or swag I got this week:
 

  WON FROM CONTEST:

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
 (Hardback won from Mrs. Magoo Reads)

BOUGHT AT WALDENBOOKS:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
(Paperback on clearance for $2.99!)
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
(Paperback, only $6.90 with 33% off coupon)

What books did you get this week?

Private Books 5 and 6: Inner Circle and Legacy Reviews

 

Titles: Private Books 5 and 6: Inner Circle and Legacy
Author: Kate Brian
Pages: 224 and 243
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: August 28, 2007 and February 19, 2008
My Editions: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Borrowed From: the Library

 

Inner Circle (Book 5) Summary from Amazon:
Reed Brennan arrived at Easton Academy expecting to find an idyllic private school experience -- challenging classes, adorably preppy boys, and a chance to create a new life for herself. Instead, she discovered lies, deception, blackmail, and...murder. But, thankfully, the killers were caught and the nightmare is finally over. 

Now, with a new school year ahead of her, Reed steps back on Easton's ivy-covered campus ready to start over. So when the headmaster announces that billings is forbidden from holding their traditional, secretive initiation, Reed is relieved. She champions the new rules and the six new girls the administration has picked to live in Billings Hall: Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki, Astrid, and newcomer Sabine. 

But Reed's fellow Billings resident and new nemesis, Cheyenne Martin, believes the changes are a mockery of Billings history. Despite the new rules, Cheyenne vows to keep the old ways alive, no matter what -- or who -- stands in her way...  

Legacy (Book 6) Summary from Amazon: 

The price of power... After Cheyenne Martin's death, everyone at Easton Academy is struggling to recover from yet another tragedy--especially the girls of Billings Hall. With Cheyenne gone, they need to elect a new leader. And who better than Reed Brennan, the ultimate Billings Girls? 

As the new Billings president, Reed suddenly has access to power she never imagined. Gossip is reported to her immediately, she has first dibs on everything from dining tables to dorm rooms, and Billings's most powerful alumnae are at her beck and call. So when Easton's students discover they're the only prep school on the East Coast not invited to this year's all-inclusive Legacy party, everyone turns to Reed to get them back on the list. 

Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton. She revels in her newfound status, but knows better than anyone that the Bilings leaders have a tainted legacy: Ariana was institutionalized, Noelle was expelled, and Cheyenne just died. History has a way of repeating itself at Easton, and now that Reed has everything she's ever wanted, she has everything to lose.

Review of both books:

The Private series is very addicting, and they are my girly, guilty pleasure reads! I love how much drama and crazy scandals can be stuffed into a 200+ page book. I always devour them in basically one sitting and finish them in about two hours.

Inner Circle starts with Reed finally back at Easton after the big "incident". Now she's back, a new headmaster changes everything for the worst including adding new girls to Billings which means the elite Billing Girls can't initiate their own choices. Lots of conflict starts to occur between the girls over the headmaster's new rules and causes the President to go a little crazy and break the new rules. All the drama leads to a very traumatic ending leaving Reed very terrified and worried especially after the email she receives. 

Legacy picks right back up after Inner Circle. The death of another student affects everyone at Easton and with the big Legacy party being canceled, it causes chaos. Reed is elected president of Billings leading to many open doors for her. Noelle is also back which means some more conflict, but she also helps Reed to make sure Easton legacies get the invite into the Legacy party. Reed has many romantic troubles though between her love Josh and her email flirting with Dash. The ending just left me craving to know what would happen next.

I can not wait to get the next one, Ambition, from the library! They all end with such huge cliffhangers (especially Legacy), so I will being going to the library very soon to get the seventh one and maybe even the eighth one too : )

Rating:

Hand-Me-Down Winner and Cover Remake!

Jenn over at Book Crazy is hosting a cover remake contest for Before I Fall and other goodies! To enter you had to remake the Before I Fall cover so without further ado my cover:

 *original picture from polyvore.com

--------------------------------------------------

The winner of Hand-Me-Down by Lee Nichols has been picked by Random.org, and the winning entry is #10 who is...

 I'll be sending her an email shortly. Please respond back with your address by Saturday, or I will have to pick another winner. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Beautiful Darkness which is the second book in the Caster Chronicles Series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl! I really liked the first book Beautiful Creatures, so I can't wait to see what happens next to Ethan and Lena. I'm very excited to read it when it comes out on October 26, 2010!

Beautiful Darkness: 
Caster Chronicles Book 2

By: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description from Goodreads:

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Sometimes life-ending.  

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Crashed: Skinned Book 2 Review

 Title: Crashed 
Series: Skinned Book 2 
Author: Robin Wasserman 
Pages: 440 
Publisher: Simon Pulse 
Publication Date: September 8, 2009 
My Edition: Hardback 
Reading Level: Young Adult 
Genre: Dystopian 
Received From: Christmas Gift from Amazon 

Summary from Robin's website: 

No one to trust... everything to lose.

Before the accident, Lia Kahn was happy.

Before the accident, Lia Kahn was loved.

Before, Lia was a lot of things: Normal. Alive. Human.

Lia no longer lives in before. Six months after the crash that killed her, six months after being reborn, Lia has finally accepted her new reality. She is a machine, a mech, and she belongs with her own kind. It’s a wild, carefree life, without rules and without fear. Because there’s nothing to fear when you have nothing left to lose.

But when a voice from her past cries out for revenge, everything changes. Lia is forced to choose: between her old life and her new one. Between humans and mechs. Between sacrificing the girl she used to be and saving the boy she used to love. Even if it means he’ll hate her forever.

Review:

Crashed was an amazing addition to the Skinned trilogy. It was a lot different than Skinned but was a lot more action-packed with a touch of romance. Lia just left her family to live with the other mechs, since her family and friends no longer accept her or understand what she is now. The main plot was focused on the "orgs" against the "mechs" and was very interesting to learn how much the orgs hate the mechs because they shouldn't exist. The concept is very unique and very cool to read.

I love the original characters and the dystopian society with lots of new technology. Lia is a great, strong, developed character. She may technically be "dead" but her brain and mind was uploaded to a technology-made body. The relationship between all the characters was pretty tense until finally at the end things started to change. Towards the end, Lia starts to trust and become friends with some of her fellow mechs. All the mechs have their own past which is haunting many of the characters even in their new and different bodies. Even some romance brews between Lia and another mech which was a nice change from all the tension and fighting.

Crashed was pretty long but was very fast-paced & exciting. I'm really looking forward to the final book of the trilogy, Wired (out summer 2010), to find out what will happen to Lia and the other mechs. I enjoy the writing style of Robin Wasserman and highly recommend reading Skinned if you haven't already then Crashed!

Rating:

IMM (29)

IMM was started by The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is where I post the books/swag I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, or ect. The book titles are linked to their Amazon pages. These are the books and swag I got this week:

  
WON FROM CONTESTS:

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Hardback from Book Depository)*
Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards (ARC from Random Buzzers)

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hardback from Book Depository)*
*from Just Your Typical Book Blog for winning her design a blog header contest!

 
FOR REVIEW:
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells
(ARC from Sourcebooks)

 
FROM THE LIBRARY:
Legacy by Kate Brian (Paperback)
Specials by Scott Westerfeld (Audiobook)

What books did you get this week?

Princess Bookie's Contest Craze

Princess Bookie is hosting thousands of contests (it seems like it lol) for the Read-a-Thon today! There are many from the beginning of the week and tons from today. Just click on the button to start entering all the awesome contests now! : )

Very LeFreak Review

 
Title: Very LeFreak 
Author: Rachel Cohn 
Pages: 320 
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: January 12, 2010 
My Edition: Hardback 
Reading Level: YA, Ages 14+
(sex, drugs, language, alcohol) 
Borrowed From: the Library

Summary from Goodreads: 

Very LeFreak has a problem: she’s a crazed technology addict. Very can’t get enough of her iPhone, laptop, IMs, text messages, whatever. If there’s any chance the incoming message, call, text, or photo might be from her supersecret online crush, she’s going to answer, no matter what. Nothing is too important: sleep, friends in mid-conversation, class, a meeting with the dean about academic probation. Soon enough, though, this obsession costs Very everything and everyone. Can she learn to block out the noise so she can finally hear her heart?

Rachel Cohn makes her Knopf solo debut with this funny, touching, and surely recognizable story about a girl and the technology habit that threatens everything. As time goes on, Josh goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way, he begins to question his own rigid understanding of God and whether, as his mother says, a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Josh further astray than any girl ever has . . . but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his life in the church?

Review:
Very LeFreak was a very strange but funny and unique novel about a pretty messed up girl. Very (real name Veronica) has grown up with a single mother who is basically a hippie. They moved around from place to place on a whim. Her mother was very carefree until she died while Very was still in high school. She goes to live with her aunt who she barely knows and isolates herself in the attic away from her aunt. Very is a very smart girl and goes to Columbia University. She starts to have lots of problems with school and her friends because of technology addition through iPods, iPhones, and laptops by IMing, texting, memeing, emailing, ect, ect. Her friends finally intervene to help her which means being sent to ESCAPE, and the rehab causes many changes in her life.

The characters were all very different and original. Very was the most original character I have read in a while. She is very hard to explain, and I don't really know if I even like her. Her character is just very complex and nothing like myself. The whole story was pretty racy with lots of language use, sex, and drug & alcohol reference. I didn't mind it too much because that is what the main character was like for someone who came from a dysfunctional childhood. I was very shocked by the last 100 pages because so many unexpected things happened. The book was very fast paced and easy to read. I love Rachel Cohn's books, but this one was good but just one of her greatest.

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by both Rachel Cohn and David Levithan! I have read many of Rachel's books and loved them and really liked Nick and Norah's and Naomi and Ely's by both of the authors, so I can't wait to see how this stacks up to the others : ) Also, the cover is so cute and fun. I'm very excited to read it when it comes out on October 12, 2010!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

By: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Description from Goodreads:

Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find.