THE FUTURE OF US!

How excited was I when I opened a package from my editor and this (THIS!) was inside?

YES! An ARC of the eagerly anticipated Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler collaboration!  I happen to be a HUGE Jay Asher fan.

It came with the stipulation that I had to finish the draft of my revised manuscript before I read it - how's that for motivation?

Published by Razorbill, THE FUTURE OF US is set to release November 21 and is available for pre-order.

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

In alternating POV, Asher and Mackler take the reader on a journey with Emma and Josh into their future and also through their present and what this discovery means to both of them. 

Romance complicates everything for Emma and Josh.  Are they dating "the one"?  If they find "the one" now, how will they keep "the one"?  Are they too young to know what they want in the future for themselves or from a partner?  Are they even the same people fifteen years from now (1996)? And what happens when they interfere with the future?  Can it ever go back, or have they destroyed it forever?

Added to the dual main characters are their two best friends--an on again, off again couple--who are fun and quirky.  The ending is sweet and satisfying--not over-done or under-cooked. 

I give THE FUTURE OF US five stars!  (Who didn't see that coming?) :)

---Jamie

Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I just finished this novel and it was AWESOME. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2011 and I’m happy to report it didn’t disappoint. This time travel novel defiantly stood out among the sea of paranormal books out there on the YA shelf.



Emerson is such a great character. She’s so flawed, which makes her seem real. She practically leaped off the pages. I loved how she was will to take risks. She wasn’t afraid to risk it all to go after what she wants. Her ability is amazing. It kept me hooked in the novel. I wanted to find out what she was capable of.



There are two boys in this book. Both totally swoon worthy. One guy, Michael, you meet at the beginning of the book and he has what I like to call the typical YA relationship with Emerson. She sees him and is totally smitten and talks about his hotness A LOT. I personally don’t mind a character being completely GA-GA over a boy, but I know it turns a lot of people off. Their relationship does grow, so hang in there for a little depth. The boy that stole the show for me was Kaleb. Let me just say, um, WOW. He’s hot. A little reckless, tattoos, muscles and totally into Emerson—my kind of guy. Kaleb wasn’t afraid to make it known that Emerson had another choice other than Michael. Kaleb was totally my pick. There’s a solid love triangle in this novel and I really want to see how it plays out.



The last ten chapters or so were the best in the book. I flew through them. My ereader could barely keep up. I love the twists and turns the story took. Myra did a great job weaving past, present and future together. I’m left with a ton of questions and what ifs after reading this novel. I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2 to get some answers!



www.youngadultbookworm.blogspot.com



View all my reviews

Populazzi by Elise Allen

Title:  Populazzi
Author: Elise Allen
Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 1st 2011 by Harcourt Children's Books (first published July 20th 2011)

Plot:

Cara has never been one of those girls: confident, self-possessed, and always ready with the perfect thing to say. A girl at the very top of the popularity tower. One of the Populazzi.


Now, junior year could change everything. Cara’s moving to a new school, and her best friend urges her to seize the moment—with the help of the Ladder. Its rungs are relationships, and if Cara transforms into the perfect girlfriend for guys ever-higher on the tower, she’ll reach the ultimate goal: Supreme Populazzi.

The Ladder seems like a lighthearted social experiment, a straight climb up, but it quickly becomes gnarled and twisted. And when everything goes wrong, only the most audacious act Cara can think of has a chance of setting things even a little bit right.

My Thoughts:

I adored this novel. Cara was so fun to read about. She takes some major risks and at times I found myself biting my nails to see what she was going to do next. Cara and her best friend at times seem like they are only interested in climbing the social ladder and don't care who they hurt, but I was able to look past that because I was into the story.

There are so many deliciously steamy boys to read about in this novel. It really kept me hooked to watching Cara's climb to the upper hierarchy of popularity. There are some twists in this novel I didn't expect, but glad they were thrown in to make this novel stand out amongst the other YA contemporary novels out there.

All and all, I really liked it. I recommend this to any YA contemporary fan who likes plots centered around high school popularity and smexy time with guys.

Musical Mondays: Apocalyptica

Apocalyptica is one of those bands who create such beautiful music it's easy to draw your own artisitc abilities from their infulence. Their songs can reach down into your soul and pull out an inner darkness that's buried so deep, you'll be surprised on the kinda of emotion you can create for your characters. Apocalyptica, along with a few other bands are my go-to source when I need a little writing inspiration. They can help me get into someone else's mind and emotion, which helps me flesh out my novel. I also love how they feature a new singer in every song! Keeps it fresh with the same errie beats. If you ever have a chance to see them live...DO IT! They are awesome! Here are a few videos that blew me away! Enjoy!!

End of Me:

 

Broken Pieces:


Not Strong Enough:



I Don't Care:

Double Take Covers: The Other Life

I'm super excited to read this one!! The cover is creepy. I love it. Look for The Other Life May 2012 from author Susanne Winnacker!

Plot:
Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.