Early Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

If You Find Me
by Emily Murdoch

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: March 26th, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Format: eARC, 256 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

I have to admit that I chose to read this book because I saw somewhere that it was a survival story. And it was. But not in the sense I thought it would be. I expected to see people having to fend for themselves in the middle of the woods, all Hunger Games-like or something... but it was a different kind of survival. A much sadder and realistic one. Two girls had to survive their own mother and the terrible things she did to them. All the things she let others do to them.

Carey raised her little sister by herself, because she learned a long time ago not to count on her bipolar/meth-addict mother. A mother who only cared about making enough money for drugs, a woman who could not be bothered to bring food home for her children, or clothes, or even NOT bring strange, disgusting men over to rape her 7 year-old (until she finally got her period at 13) for pocket change to buy drugs.

Carey is, not surprisingly, extremely mature for her 14 years-old. She would do anything to protect her baby sister, Jenessa. So when a woman from Social Services and a strange man (who looks somewhat familiar) show up in the middle of the forest looking for them, she's ready to fight. But there's nothing she can do. If she wants to keep her sister close, she has to live with this man. Her father. The one her mother said was the reason they had to run away years ago.

Now the two sisters have to learn how to live with the comforts and novelties of modern life. Clean, comfortable, warm clothes. A nice place to sleep. Food whenever they're hungry. Running water. This is all heaven for them, but this new life won't be easy. There's a stepmother involved. Oh, and a very jealous stepsister. And let's not forget about high school. And boys. If only Carey didn't have so much to hide...

This was such a sad, sad book. I loved the way it was narrated. I could almost hear Carey's voice, with her accent and all the missing g's and es's ('don't it?' 'runnin' '). It was such a melodic, dreamy, sad narration. It broke my heart from the start, because I just knew there was something bad to be discovered. 

I wanted to kill Carey's mother. What a freaking monster! How can someone do those things to her own children? Ok, I get it, she was sick AND on drugs, but seriously? Completely unacceptable. At the end of this book I found myself very mad with the opposite sex. I can't even begin to describe how satifying it was to me to read what she did to that rapist. 

Anyway... it was very heart-warming to see them adapt to their new, love-filled life. If anyone deserved it, it was them. I loved this book. I really did. Even if Carey, a girl who lived in the woods ever since she as a child, without proper nutrients and hydration, with next to no protection from the elements, under constant stress and all, being described as 'OMG, the most amazingly beautiful girl ever, she should be on cover of magazines and movies'. That was completely unnecessary to the story and quite unrealistic, but I'm going to let that go. The rest of the book was terrific, so there you go.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Cover Reveal!!! STAINED by Cheryl Rainfield

I am very excited to present to you all the cover for the newest YA tale of Realist Fiction by Cheryl Rainfield!!! *-*

Sometimes you have to be your own hero.

Book Description:

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.

Stained will be released on November 19, 2013 by the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Don't forget to check the book trailer!

Book trailer for YA suspense novel

From the author:

Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.

Available For Pre-Order on:

Amazon (hardcover): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087 (You can get an email when it's available!)

Amazon (kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

Amazon.ca (hardcover): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087

Amazon.ca (ebook): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087/

Amazon.co.uk (ebook) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780547942087/?a_aid=allbookstorescom&selectCurrency=USD

Powell's: http://www.powells.com/biblio/:new:0547942087:?&PID=7355

Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780547942087?AID=42121&PID=520726

Mini-Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins

Published December 2nd 2010 by Dutton

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publication Date: Dec 2nd, 2012

Publisher: Dutton

Format: e-book, 372 pages 

Series: no

Source: My Kindle

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My Review

I started this book a couple of weeks ago. It didn't instantly grab my attention, so I put it aside and read a handful of other books until I finally came back to it.

For the first 1/3 of this book I honestly had trouble figuring out what people saw in it. Really. So much fuss for this? >.> Until I realized that I had fallen for Etienne without even noticing.

Yup. I read this one right after finishing Twenties Girl, which means I still had some feelings remaining in my heart due to the PMS and all that (LOL), so I sort of cried while reading this one, too. Embarrassing enough, I even felt my heart tightening when Anna and Etienne kept hurting each other.... very emo, believe me, I am aware. Damn you, hormones!

But I digress. Oh, Paris. Your magic got to me. Suddenly I could relate to Anna (and started to crave a trip to those lovely tourist attractions) and wanted Etienne for myself.

This one was a lovely, light read that, at the same time, managed to approach some very serious issues, such as divorces, controlling and unloving parents, the tale of first love, the difficulty in ending a relationship because it's 'safe', how to forgive your friends and accept your flaws/admit your mistakes, and, of course, trying to find your place in the world. See, I told you my PMS made me sentimental. It apparently also makes me philosophical. But don't get used it to it.

Anna and the French kiss was an adorable read, and now I have to go and look for 'Lola and the Boy Next Door'. I hear it's just as cute. :P

P.S: Totally out of topic here, but don't you LOVE Perkins' blue highlights in this picture??? *-* I so wish I could pull it off.

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits
by Katie McGarry

Published August 3rd 2012 by Mira Ink

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: August 3rd 2012

Publisher: Mira Ink

Format: eARC, 416 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley
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My Review

First line: "My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has... well... issues. How do you think I'm doing?"

Last line: "Yes, but I'm driving."

Favorite quote: Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls.

Two years ago, there was an accident... and now Echo Emerson is no longer the same girl she used to be. She has to do therapy, which was "strongly encouraged" by Child Protective Services. She can't see her bipolar mom, thanks to a restraining order her father filed for. She's still grieving for her brother, who died in Afghanistan. She can't stand her new stepmom, who is now pregnant, and her father, who seems eager to control her life for her. Oh, and she can't go anywhere without long sleeves or gloves, in order to hide the most horrible scars on her wrists and the inside of her arms. Scars of what happened two years ago... on the night she can't remember. A night nobody seems to want her to remember.

Echo's new school therapist seems like a good enough person, but Echo really isn't interested in therapy. She just wants to fix her dead brother's car and get over high school. But to fix said car, she needs money... money her rich father won't give her. So Mrs. Collins, her therapist, suggests a job. A tutoring job. Sounds easy enough, right? Except for the guy she's supposed to tutor....

Noah Hutchins is smoking-hot, super bad boy material. (Heavy emphasis on 'smoking'). He smokes pot, he skips school, he sleeps with a different girl every night, and his stepparents couldn't care less about him... and now he can barely see his brothers, because the State won't allow him visitation privileges. All because he hit his first foster father to stop him from hitting his own biological son. Go figure. Noah used to be the perfect, popular, good guy jock type, but after a fire killed his parents, life has been very different for him. Now he wants custody of his brothers, but to have that, he needs to change. Starting with his attendance and grades, which is why Mrs. Collins, his new social worker/therapist, talks him into being tutored. Like he has time to sit around and have some stupid brainiac tell him how dumb they think he is. 

Noah and Echo are two opposites... with a lot in common. And now they have to decide what they want from their lives. To either keep ignoring the feelings blossoming between them, or to accept them and fight for their right to be happy, and screw what others think of them.

I've been hearing praise for Pushing the Limits for months now... and I have to admit that neither the cover nor the blurb interested me... however, after getting tired of seeing people gushing over it, I decided to -finally- give it a try. And I really enjoyed it!

Echo is a walking, talking bomb, waiting to explode. I wanted her to just remember everything and be free! I loved how her art and talent were incorporated in the story so perfectly, I loved the mythological references, I loved to see her get over things. What I didn't love was how she just took the bullshit her father and so-called friends threw at her. Oh, and she forgave them way too easily... I'm pretty sure I'd still hold a grudge over her father, stepmom AND that bitch Grace. But maybe that's just my black/nonexistent heart talking. No. She really did forgive them way too soon.

Noah was a delight. Such a complex character! So strong, so self-confident, so grown-up, and, yet, so vulnerable and angry. Understandably so, of course. The State really did help make his life even more miserable than it already was after he lost his parents. It was funny seeing how he lost it everytime Echo was around. Very cute to see such a... hard person soften like that. He really needed some luv.

I like mature YA's liek this one becuase they don't try to pretend teenagers are saints, all pure and nice. No, they freaking fight, curse, drink, use drugs, and, OMG! O.O They have sex. Yup. Echo remained a virgin throughout the book, sure, but this was still a lot more believable than most YA's out there... but I guess that's what parents want, right? To pretend nothing like that is happening. If books don't have those things in them, then surely they don't happen in real life... Yeah, right. :P

Aaaaaaanyway, I digress. I really liked this book, with characters with real-life problems and feelings.... if not for some weak moments and stupid decisions from Echo, of course. I was also surprised to find out this one is a series. From the way the book ended, I would have never expected it to be. Things wrapped-up so nicely... but I might still check the next book.

If you like realist fiction with your YA, then you'll really enjoy Pushing the Limits.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

The Raft
by S.A. Bodeen

Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

Robie, 15, lives with her family on the Midway atoll, a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Her parents are scientists; it’s an isolated life. Robie enjoys visiting her aunt in Hawaii—she gets back and forth on a cargo plane that brings supplies to Midway.

During a visit, her aunt is called to the mainland for a work emergency, leaving Robie to get home on her own. On her flight back to Midway the cargo plane hits nasty weather, and goes down. It’s just Robie, the pilot, and Max, a co-pilot she’s never met till this flight, on board. Robie is pulled aboard a raft by Max, who is injured and slipping in and out of consciousness. They have a bag of candy and very little water between them. When they finally reach an island that seems abandoned, Robie hopes they’ll be found quickly. But she’s not sure she was even on the flight manifest. Her parents must be looking for her... aren’t they?

Genre: Young Adult, Survival

Publication Date: August 21st 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Format: eARC, 231 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

Fifteen year-old Robie just got her nose pierced while visiting her aunt in Hawaii. When her aunt has to go away for work and decides to send her back home a week before the end of her vacation, she begs to stay a bit longer, by herself. After some deliberation, her aunt says she can stay, but under the agreement that a friend of hers will stop by everyday to check up on Robie. By an ironic twist of fate, said friend calls Robie' s aunt's apartment when she's already gone and asks the girl to let her aunt know she won't be able to hold up her part in the agreement. Robie is ecstatic. She'll be on her own for the first time!

But after one day alone, she's not as near excited anymore and decides to go home. She tries to contact her family, but they live in an isolated island where comunication goes down very often. So she decides to surprise them and let her aunt know when she gets there. She then boards a cargo plane to Midway, but for some reason her name is not documented in the passanger's list. When things go wrong with the engines and co-pilot Max throws a life-saver at her and starts screaming for her to get ready to jump, it hits her: the plane is falling and nobody knows she's in it.

Max pushes her off the plane and then fishes her out of the sea and on to the raft, then goes quiet. Robie is trying her best not to freak out, but they're alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark and cold, with no water or food, with just a thin layer of plastic between them and the sharks she's read so much about. And Max seems to be getting worse. His pulse is getting slower and slower and she almost can't feel it anymore.  But, luckily, he makes a turn for the best. To try and pass the time, she surveys the raft and finds a pamphlet with advice on survival at sea, which comes in very handy.

Robie has many interesting adventures while at sea, involving sharks, seagulls, attempts at fishing and fixing the leaking raft, trying to get the attention of a plane, doing her best to drink as much rain water as possible, hitting a reef and washing up on an island... there was never a dull moment.

The description of the plane falling were terrifying. I kept picturing myself in Robie's place. And I wanted to shake her real bad! To tell her: 'wake up and do something!'. LOL. But she was in shock and just froze. If not for Max, she would be dead. He saved her life twice, and both times she had just given up, preparing herself to die, making no effort at all. I understand she was very young and very scared, but her survival instincts weren't very good. Or she was just very weak. A very weak person and very weak character. If the situations weren't so fascinating and if I wasn't so curious as to know what a person should do in her place, I would have given uo on Robie and the book. But I'm glad her hardships and my curiosity wouldn't allow me. 

The book is very short, and the ending was very bittersweet. Deep inside we know what happens with Max, (especially because he's always asleep, never eats, hardly drinks or speaks...) but, like Robie, we're in denial. Still, it was quite a read and I enjoyed it.

If you like YA survival books with a lot of tension and drama, a big load of information on birds, marine creatures and great tips on how to survive, you'll really like The Raft.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Burn by Heath Gibson

Burn
by Heath Gibson

Expected publication: August 8th 2012 by Flux

All it takes is one spark.

William Tucker loves being a volunteer firefighter (maybe it's no coincidence that a pastor's son would enjoy saving people). And after he rescues his crush, Mandy Pearman, she undergoes a profound transformation for the better. In fact, it seems like a lot of good comes from the embers of tragedy in his small Alabama town. William may not be able to meet his father's expectations, force his mother to ditch the gin, or protect his gay brother, but for those who need a second chance at life, William isn't afraid to light the match--and become the hero the town needs.

Genre: Young Adult, Drama

Publication Date: August 8th 2012

Publisher: Flux

Format: eARC, 264 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

Five-foot-three inches tall William Tucker, a.k.a. Wee Wee, is a voluntary firefighter. His father is the city Pastor, and Will grew up hearing things such as 'Be who you are', and 'Do the right thing', without ever hearing that his father is proud of him, because nothing but good deeds are expected of him. His mother is never seen without a cup in her hand and is always trying to make Will feel guilty and quit his voluntary job because it worries her too much, nevermind that his actions are brave and save lives. His 'perfect' brother is gay and wants to come out during their homecoming party with his boyfriend and wants Will to be there supporting him.

William goes through life always trying his best not to be noticed, always wanting to avoid confrontation and problems, sometimes because of his stature and sometimes because of his family problems. When he works up some courage and asks his forever crush, Mandy Pearman, to go to homecoming with him, she uncerimoniously turns him down saying he's just too short to go out with. Heartbroken and with no one to sit with during lunch (he's sure they are all making fun of him about being turned down), he goes to the new girl at school Samantha Johnson, and tries to strike up a conversation. 

After a quite bad start, they become friends of a sort and go to homecoming together, with gay brother and all. Things start to look good and all of a sudden Will notices that when bad things happen they also bring up the best in people, brings them together, makes them more helpful. So he has a brilliant idea to continue making people help each other, and, as an extra, to see him as a hero. He starts building small fires, gets there first, saves everyone and is put under the spotlight... that is, until the police starts to investigate the crimes and tries to find a culprit. Suddenly his plans to bring the best in people might not turn out just as he expected them to...

I found it very interesting to see how Will's mind worked, how he came to this idea to build fires. He used to love putting them down, but discovered he enjoyed it even more when he built them from scratch. He even found Bible quotes that fit in the situation, such as:

"You make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers" 

That was a very interesting idea the author had. He even compared the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost to oxigen, heat and fuel. Will kept finding aspects of religion that made him feel like what he was doing was right, and he actually meant well. That was what made it so bad. Samantha was such a different character! She was so strong and full of attitude, but had such a good heart. I loved her. But for some reason I just wasn't very absorbed by the story as a whole. It wasn't boring or bland, it just didn't, well... bring out a spark. Sorry for pun. The ending was somehow lacking, too, in my opinion. I was hoping for a better turnout, I guess. But it was fitting, anyway.

If you like contemporary YAs with realistic issues and family drama, you'll enjoy Burn.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Scars by Cheryl Rainfield/Reading Romances June Challenge

Reading Romances June Challenge

3) Read a stand-alone book.

5) Read an m/m romance book or a book that has at least one prominent gay or lesbian character.

Scars
by Cheryl Rainfield


Published April 9th 2012 by WestSide Books

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: April 9th 2012

Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 248 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley


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My Review

Fifteen year old Kendra is starting to remember. She's starting to remember things she's been forced to forget for years. Things she know she should remember, but at the same time, is afraid to. She's been abused, ever since she was a toddler. And now her abuser is back, stalking her, threatening her to make sure  she tells no one about him. Or he'll kill her.

Kendra is lost and confused, feeling alone in the world. Her mother doesn't seem to care about her, always ignoring her and pretending everything is fine. Her father is stressed because he's lost his job. And as Kendra starts to recall fragments of her childhood, she sees him in every male around her. In her mother's friends. In her teachers. And everytime she starts to remember his face, everytime she comes very close to really seeing him... she freaks out with the strength of the trauma, of the horrible memories, og the need to NOT KNOW, that she needs release. She needs to somehow distract hersefl, to get this thing out of her. That's why she cuts herself.

But when the memories start to become too much... to show things she's not ready to admit, she knows she needs help. More help than her sweet therapist, lovable art teacher or super nice gay friend can give her. She needs to be loved. To feel something good and pure and bright, to chase away the pain and darkness that fills her. And she's finding that in Meghan, the pretty, messed-up girl at school. 

Kendra is about to find out that her agressor might be closer than she thinks... and that he might be even more dangerous than she ever expected.

I have been meaning to read this books for YEARS now. But, somehow, never got to it. Thankfully, now I had the chance to read this fantastic tale of facing and overcoming your fears, of accepting yourself, of loving and being loved. Kendra touched my heart very deeply. In all her painful and humiliating memories as a child, I felt like I was right there with her, going throught it, too. Every time she cut herself, I wish I could reach in and try to sooth her nerves. I just wanted her to finally accept her memories and try to overcome her fears. I knew, from the start, who the abuser was. It was just very clear, from all the clues, but sometimes I did doubt myself. LOL. And, I guess, so did Kendra. The poor girl.

The book was so heavy and sad from the start that when it ended in such a nice way, with that glowing/ healing/growing up sensation, I felt thoroughly satisfied. And light. I loved it. It was very alarming, touching, and, more importantly, believable.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* 

Early Review: All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

All These Lives
by Sarah Wylie

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away.

To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Format: eARC, 245 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

______________________________________

My Review

First line: This is how it feels to die: It starts from outside and works its way in. 

Last line: She looks a lot like my sister.

Favorite quote: "Most people think the biggest sacrifice, the greatest act of love you can give is to die for someone. 

And probably it is. 

But Sometimes it is the opposite.

The biggest thing you can do for someone is to live."

Sixteen-year-old Dani has survived a couple of situations in which she was very close to dying during her younger years, and she also remembers her mother telling her, in a playful way, that she takes after herself. That she is the girl with nine lives. Now, she's older and has to see her fraternal twin, Jana, go through the most horrible treatments for cancer. She can't even help by donating her marrow, because, incredibly enough, they're not compatible. 

But Dani is convinced she can help in another way. She has nine lives. Enough lives to spare. So she decides she'll throw a few of them up into the universe, hoping her sister will be able to 'capture' them and get better. But by doing so, she manages to push away the few friends she still has and to convince everyone she's trying to kill herself. But they don't understand. She's just trying to save her sister.

Her parents are trying very hard to act like things are normal, like nothing much has changed, but everything has. Jena specially. Dani can hardly recognize her sister anymore. She's so small, so weak, so sick and defeated. The smallest fever can bring her down, and she has almost daily visits to the hospital. At school, Jana's old friends act like she never even existed, and Dani can't stand that. So she finds comfort in teasing/bullying her classmate Jack when she feels like talking or just hanging out with her only friend, Lauren, (who just can't shut up) when she feels like losing herself in her thoughts. 

She also hangs out with bad boy Spencer, who seems to like her quite a bit, but quickly manages to push him away when she decides to crash his Harley for one of her soul 'deliveries'. Even though she still goes to school and random auditions to please her parents, Dani has really given up on studying and acting. Both things she used to be very good at. But now she has other priorities in life. Like trying to lose her lives.

I loved this cover. From the minute I saw it I knew I had to read this book. And it was SO good! I normally try to avoid much drama, but Danielle was such a complex character. She's trying so hard to pretend she's okay, that she's not freaking out on the inside about the possibility of losing her sister any day now. On the outside she tries to look like a very funny, very carefree person, (and she has some really great humorous quotes! Cracked me up quite a bit), but we  can see she's trying too hard. I really, really liked her. And Jana, the poor girl, was so sweet, also trying to hide how pissed and depressed she was about the disease. They broke my heart.

I'm not one for very dramatic and sad books, but once in a while a gem like this attracts me and I can't help but let it take over my life for a couple of hours. Probably because I always forget that after all the suffering, they usually leave me a feeling like having one's soul somewhat... lighter. 

Sarah Wylie is a very talented writer. She sucks you into the story, she honestly makes you care about the characters and feel what they're feeling. There's no better way to read a story than to feel like you're part of it. Too bad we can't change it.

If you like your YA with realistic fiction, dramatic family issues and very well-written characters and situations, you'll be blown away by All these Lives.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Welcome Caller, This is Chloe
Shelley Coriell

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Amulet Books

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: May 2012

Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 320 pages 

Series: no

Acquisition: Netgalley

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My Review

I have to admit that after reading the first few pages I wasn't sure I'd like this book. Chloe was all "Oh, me and my BFs are so close!", "My BF's rock!" and then "Oh, my God, how will I possibly survive without my BFs?". I seriously wanted to slap that girl. But then it was like another writer finished the rest of the book, becuase the story got so much better.

Chloe works at the Dos Hermanas Mexican Cantina, has a grandmother with Parkinson and absolutely loves old vintage shoes. Her parents are both doctors, and her older five brothers also intend to be. But Chloe has no idea what she wants for the future. 

What she does know is that all of a sudden her BF Brie started to act weird and call her selfish, saying that she always talks too much and never listens to others, that it's always all about her. Chloe doesn't understand why Brie is being so mean, and, apparently following in her steps, so is her other BF, Mercedes. As a matter of fact, the whole school is acting weird, pointing fingers and whispering behind her back. There's no place for her to sit in the cafeteria. Nobody stops to gossip with her. Nobody invites her to parties or for a soda anymore. Her life is all messed-up. And she can't even figure out why.

What she does know is that A. Lungren, her new JISP (Junior Independent Study Project) counselor wants her to change the theme of her project from Villanous Vixens: The Not-So-Squeaky-Clean Women of Daytime Soap Operas to helping out at the school radio station. A radio that is literally fighting for air, because the scholl admin is denying to renew KDRS 88.8 The Edge funding for the next year, and without money for the equipments, maintenance, music, supplies and etc... they're done for. Chloe doesn't really care very deeply about it all, she really just wants to get her JISP done with, especially when all of the radio crew make it very clear they don't want her there. Well... most of them, because the maintenance guy, with his broad shoulders, dark messy hair and beautiful silver eyes has a way of making her feel more comfortable. And welcome.

When a show spot for the night period turns up, Mr. Tool-Belt, ahem, Duncan, announces that Chloe's voice and personality would be perfect for it. After quite a bit of (heated) discussion, Chloe officially becomes a radio star. Things start to get better for the station, but as Chloe tries to get closer to Duncan, she finds out that her life is not nearly as complicated when compared to his. 

After a bit of a bad start, I ended up enjoying this book profusely. Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe is a very well-written book, approaching many difficult subjects, such as bullying, the impact of Parkinson disease and illegal drugs on families and even teenage pregnancy. They were all treated in a very light, open way, but that was also able to showcase the seriousness of these matters. It was very interesting to read more about them.

This a very, very good book for young audiences, but I'm sure even adults would have fun with it. :)

If you like creative, fast-paced Young Adults with clever, funny heroines, many complex characters and realistic issues, this is your book.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove

by Kirsten Hubbard


Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

It all begins with a stupid question: Are you a Global Vagabond? No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. 

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back. Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Reading Level: Young Adult

Publication Date: March 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Pages: 352

Series: no

Acquisition: received a copy for review

Heroine: Slim, short dark hair and eyes

Hero: Tall, swimmer's build, longish dark hair and blue eyes

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My Review

Bria Sandoval loves to draw. Ever since she was kid she would draw in every surface with anything available, and have the time of her life doing it. On her senior year she met the guy who looked perfect for her. An artist. Toby went to fancy art classes, knew secret drawing techniques and dreamt of going to SCAA, a big, famous arts school. And he made her want to go, too. They studied together, improved their skills and applied. 

Bria got in. But Toby didn't... he was jealous and bitter, so he dumped her.

Bria was completely crushed. After moping around for weeks, she decides to travel to Europe with her friends, just like she and Toby planned to do once they went to college together... but her friends end up not being able to go, and she can't possibly go alone to a place like Europe, right? Well, she certainly can, but not to a place that would make her think of him all the time.

She's going to Guatemala. To see the Mayan Ruins. With the Global Vagabonds, adventurous youngsters looking for knowledge and fun... At least that's what the pamphlet said. But when she gets to the Guatemala airport, all she sees are middle-aged people. And all they do is stick to safe places, seeing only what the travel plan states they should see, and for how long they should see it. 

Bria starts to regret the trip until she sees a beautiful kind of creature wondering along the boring tourists. A backpacker. A tall, bronzed-skin, ponytailed backpacker. Who invites her over for dinner on an island that is not on her travel guide. When she gets there, she remembers she doesn't know his name, but ends up finding more beautiful, tanned creatures like him. And one of them is Starling, an outspoken humanitarian. She explains to Bria that the 'ponytail guy' is her half-brother, a reformed troublemaker called Rowan, who teaches scuba diving. 

When Starling invites her to join them on their trip, she's scared, but very excited. After all, this whole thing was supposed to make her more independent, but the Global Vagabonds obviously weren't helping her with that cause... so she takes the risk, gives up two thirds of her suitcase's content and becomes a brand new backpacker. Rowan isn't exactly thrilled with the tag-along, but he accepts her well enough... until Starling up and leaves for a job in a small town called Flores, without even saying goodbye to her brother. Because, like she told Bria before leaving, they don't do goodbyes, they're just too painful. Rowan is even more not thrilled when he finds his sister gone and himself as the 'babysitter', but Bria starts to show him how great a companion she can be. How great a friend.

Bria learns that backpackers do things cheap. And saving money means giving up on comfort. And life luxuries, such as showers, hot water and cold drinks. But they also see the most amazing things that ordinary travelers always miss out on. They see hidden natural beauty, they see the reality of life in Central America, they learn and they grow as they travel. They ake new friends and they fall in love.

I have to admit that at the beginning there were a few times the book was a bit boring, but I'm glad I endured it, LOL, because then it gets crazy good! I stayed up late just to finish it! I didn't want to wait to see what happened. Bria is a an excellent artist, and her drawings fill the book, making it so much more... personal (author Kirsten Hubbard was also the artist). You can literally picture what's happening, what she's seeing and feeling. And it's a beautiful addition to such a great story. She finds herself, her art, her heart. And helps Rowan finds himself and his purpose, too. It's truly touching.

If you enjoy realistic fiction young adult books with a lot of travel, growing up, romance and drama, grab Wanderlove right now. :)

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*