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.