Showing posts with label YA Contempt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA Contempt. Show all posts

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday Review

Friday, May 25, 2012

Title: Deadly Cool
Author: Gemma Halliday
Paperback, 303 pages
Published October 11th 2011 by HarperTeen 


Plot:

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.


My Thoughts:

The first thing that caught my attention about this novel was the incredible voice. The main character, Hartley, pulled me in right away. Her inner thought process was so sharp and witty. I felt like she was real. The opening paragraphs were great. Hooked me right away and I rooted for her from the beginning to get to the bottom of her boyfriend dilemma.  


I love mysteries. I haven't read a really good who is the killer one since I read Clarity and The Body Finder series...until now. I love books where the main character turns all Veronica Mars and gets down to the bottom of the story.


The only thing I didn't like about this story was the fact that Hartley helped her cheating boyfriend in the first place. I myself would have said sink or swim on your own, baby. But, to each their own I guess and I am glad she did get pissed at him several times over the whole cheating thing. She had every right to HATE his guts. 


Overall, I recommend this novel. Fans of murder mystery series will love this series.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher - Review

Monday, April 11, 2011

A quick review:

Stolen: A letter to my captorStolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


My Thoughts:  Very Creepy, but it kept me hooked. It's crazy to think this could really happen...




View all my reviews

Plot:
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

Secrets (Ivy 2) by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Title: Secrets (Ivy 2)
Authors: Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: June 1st 2011 by Greenwillow Books
Series: Ivy
Source: ARC




Plot:
Gregory or Clint? Clint or Gregory? Matt, anyone? And what is Lexi up to . . .exactly? When we last saw Callie Andrews, she was caught on the horns of a dilemma. Lexi was threatening to expose all of her safely guarded, deeply buried secrets from high school, and Callie had just hooked up with bad-boy Gregory--despite the fact that she had a perfect (sort of) boyfriend and her BFF Vanessa had claimed (sort of) Gregory as her own. Yow. Entertaining, hilarious, addictive, scandalous, sexy, and smart, The Ivy series is an insider's look at freshman life at Harvard University. This isn't high school anymore!

My Thoughts:

This book reminded me of Gossip Girl. I'm a huge fan of the show and the books because there's just something about scandalous people that hook me every time. The drama kept me turning the pages. I just had to know what was going on, plus book one left off with a huge cliff hanger, so I was immediately hooked into book two. I think if you liked book one, you'll love the second one in this series. I think I liked it even better than the first one. I'm seriously chomping at the bit for book three, because yes this one left me wanting to know what happens next!

Read this series if you like Gossip Girl, Clique and those types of books. This one will hook you!

Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer - ARC Review

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Title: Vicious Little Darlings
Author: Katherine Easer

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: June 21st 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Source: ARC



Plot:
Sarah Weaver wasn't looking forward to starting at an all-girls school. But that was before she met Maddy. Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are fun and rich and interesting—and for some reason, they seem to really like Sarah. Before long, Maddy and Agnes have moved Sarah into a big house off campus, where they cook together, buy each other presents, and share each other's secrets. So why does Sarah feel like something's bizarrely wrong? As more and more cracks start to show in Maddy's and Agnes's perfect veneers, Sarah notices some strange and disturbing things: Maddy's compulsive lying, Agnes's obsession with Maddy, and the deterioration of their friendship. And just when Sarah begins to question her own sanity, things turns deadly. Fans of Pretty Little Liars will devour this juicy debut novel.

My Thoughts:

A good young adult contemporary novel, to me, is gritty and real, with a plot that is reasonable, yet has a great twist. A twist I can't guess by the second chapter of the novel. Well, my friends, I am so happy to tell you I found that in Vicious Little Darlings.

I really didn't know what to expect when I started this ARC, but when I got into chapter one, I fell in love with the main character, Sarah. She was different, with tons of flaws, which makes a great character. I love how she had this internal struggle about her promiscuity. It made her seem real. She battled with making everyone else, but herself, happy. This of course only adds to her misery.

Sarah's two friends really stumped me. Maddie was sweet at times, but seemed crazy a majority of the time. Easer did a great job making Maddie come across as someone to watch closely. Agnes on the other hand, just seemed to be a raging bitch and a closet lesbian. She keeps a gun in her purse and isn't afraid to threaten random people with. Seriously, these two kept me on the edge of my seat. They kept me guessing until the end. :)

I love, love, loved this novel. It was so gritty. Easer let loose in this debut. She didn't hold back on the cursing, sexual description, or the sear violence in the novel. For that she is now on my favorite YA authors list and I will be anxious to read anything else she puts out.

YA Books I Loved That Didn't Get A Lot of Hype

Saturday, March 12, 2011

My book case is a complete mad-house because I have an obsession with buying books. Seriously, I probably have a couple hundred books, if not more, on there. Some of them I haven't read yet, while others have been read more times them I care to admit to. So, when I was at Borders yesterday rummaging around their 'Going Out of Business' Young Adult Section I couldn't help but to notice a lot of my favorites still sat on the shelves. The I started thinking, "why don't people love these books like me?" The only answer I came up with in my brain was that maybe it was because people have never heard of them. Let's face it. Some books are hyped so much they are everywhere you turn, while others you only hear about from book bloggers and word of mouth.

Now, I'm talking books published by the big time agencies here too, not just independent ones. I know that the way books are advertised stems back to how big of a deal was made on the book and all that, but sometimes I find I liked the less-hyped books better.

My long-winded point is, I thought this would be a good time to share some books I have recommended to people and sometimes they've never heard anything about the book and/or series.


The Touch Series:

I loved this one for the romance and the plot. I just had to figure Ben out and Cameila was an awesome main character. I loved the whole mystery in this book. The newly released Clarity actually reminds me a lot of this series, so naturally I loved that one too.

Book One: Deadly Little Secrets

Plot:
Some secrets shouldn't be kept...


Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. She's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help--but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

From the best-selling author of Blue is for Nightmares comes a story of paranormal romance that's sure to be a thrilling and chilling teen favorite.

Book 2: Deadly Little Lies
 
Book 3: Deadly Little Games


The Dark Guardians Series:

Rachel Hawthorne is hands down one of my favorite authors. I can count on any novel I pick up from her to leave me with that warm and gooey love-sick feeling. Each Dark Guardian novel is first person tense told by a different girl in the overall plot of the series, which is a great spin to a YA series. So, each book is fresh with a new love story while the main plot moves along. This is her paranormal series that I totally love. It makes me sad when people say they've never heard of her or this series. If you haven't read it, you are truly missing out on a great YA paranormal romance.

Book 1: Moonlight

Plot:

I see him and knows what this turmoil inside of me means: He's the one. My forever.


KAYLA is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying-and thrilling-gene that will change her life forever.

LUCAS is dangerous, gorgeous ... and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way.

As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destruction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny

Book 2: Full Moon

Book 3: Dark of the Moon

Book 4: Shadow of the Moon
 Giving Up the V:

I love gritty, true Contemporary Young Adult Fiction. When authors let go and really let their inner-teenager shine through, a book becomes spectacular. I felt like Spencer was a real girl and I was concerned who she was going to give it up to. The secondary characters in this book blew me away. It takes a lot to make your minor characters stand out in a way that the reader will care as much about them as you main character. The Duff actually reminds me a lot of this one, because the dialog is true to teens.


Giving Up The V

Plot:

Spencer Davis just turned sixteen. But unlike most hormonal teenagers who seem obsessed with sex — like her entire crew of friends — Spencer just doesn't get it. She'd rather wait for the right guy and the right moment. But that moment may be arriving sooner than she'd thought.


Enter Benjamin Hopkins, a new transfer student who seems to have his eyes on our V-card-carrying heroine. He's gorgeous, funny, suave, athletic, and capable of making Spencer's knees wobble with a single glance. Spencer has never felt this way about anyone before, but is Ben truly V-worthy?


Tell me, are there any great series out there that YOU love that people don't know about?? Shout-out and share with us. Maybe, we'll love them too.

YA Contemporary Book Giveaway

Saturday, January 22, 2011

First off, big THANKS to everyone who entered my button giveaway! Looks like we have our 15 winners. I'll email you soon for your addy so I can get the buttons out to you!

So, today I went to a local book store and hit up their bargain bin, totally finding YA steals. And yes my friends, I am going to give some of those books out to you all since I heart you so much. Just Comment on this post with your addy and I will use number randomizer to pick winner one and two. Being a follower (GFC) is not required, but is greatly appreciated. Contest Closes Next Sat (1/29/11 @11:59pm) Good Luck!!


Giveaway One (Open to US Only):

How to Date Like a Guy:



1. Flirt constantly.



2. Keep your options open.



3. Don't get attached.



Cassie and her two best friends, Greta and Keagan, are so over boyfriends. But just because the girls are anti-boyfriend doesn't mean they're anti-boy. So they make a pact for the summer: They'll each kiss ten different guys before school starts—no commitments, no drama, just fun. Sounds easy enough. Then Cassie meets the perfect guy (nine boys too soon), and the pact starts to seem like a terrible idea. Not to mention Boy Number One turns out to be her best friend's ex. Ugh—Cassie's summer just went from carefree to complicated faster than she can say "heartbreaker."


How to Run a Resort:


Make sure employees arrive on time with a positive attitude. (check)

Remember that the customer is always right. (check)

Keep your boyfriend and your most valuable guest from trying to kill each other. (oops)

Celeste Tippen can't imagine a more perfect summer. Her boyfriend, Travis, has a job at her family's resort, which means lots of quality couple time. Unfortunately, she forgot about Nick Saunders, the hot son of the resort's wealthiest customers. Every year, Nick flirts with Celeste, and apparently this year is no different, despite the boyfriend who's watching their every move. She assures Travis that hanging out with the resident bad boy is the last thing she wants to do. If only she believed that herself....



Giveaway Two (US ONLY):

See Description Above

 



 From the creators of GOSSIP GIRL comes a fresh, edgy take on teenage romance. Three interconnected stories explore the different stages of love over the course of one summer on the seashore.




It's summer. It's hot. And it's time to hook up.



Cousins Ella, Beth, and Jamie are at their family's beach house, and they're gearing up for the wildest time of their lives. Sassy Ella is majorly crushing on a cute older boy -- who just happens to be her sister's new boyfriend. Meanwhile, practical Beth is surprised when she finds herself falling for her best friend George. And shy, creative Jamie gets her heart broken when her summer love abandons her.



Three girls, too many boys, and some seriously stormy romances...it all adds up to one unforgettable summer.

 

Songs of a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson --Review

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Doing a little something different here guys. I have a guest reviewer, Krista Ashe,  posting this review. Krista is represented by super agent Fonda Snyder and has some stuff out on submission as we speak, so I look forward to posting reviews of her novels very soon, too! Check Krista out on her blog, Musings of A Steal Magnolia & Writer.

Title: Songs For A Teenage Nomad
Author: Kim Culbertson
Published: September 2010 By Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 242



Plot:

After living in twelve places in eight years with her drifting mother, fourteen-year-old Calle Smith finds herself in Andreas Bay, California, at the start of ninth grade. Fearful of putting down roots anywhere, but armed with her song journal, she moves to her own sound track through a world that bounces her between the school drama crowd, a mysterious loner, and an unlikely boy who will become her first love. But it's the troubling truth she uncovers about her father that forces Calle to face the toughest choice of her young life. 

Guest Review By Krista Ashe:

What's not to love about a book that starts off with a quote from Bob Dylan? As someone who loves to use songs for everything from mood music while writiting to using song lyrics to teach figurative language in classroom, I have never really read a book that used music as such a part of the setting to where it's almost another character. The closest would be Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, I suppose. And I really did feel that music became a character as well as a setting sometimes. Many songs and artists were not only referenced, but the chapter openings might have song lyrics posted.


You have the character of Calle who has criss-crossed through the state of California with her mom. They've never lived in one place long, and her mom is also one who has had several boyfriends and several husbands for them to move away from. But in their latest town, Calle actually hooks up with a group of theater friends: Eli, Alexa, and Drew. And for the first time, she's happy and likes it in a place. She's also intrigued by Sam, a football player, who shows signs of being anything but the typical jock. And in those moments when he can get away from his A-crowd friends, he opens up to Calle. In the midst of all this, Calle comes across a picture of her father--the one that was supposed to have left her and her mom when she was just a baby. A desire burns in her to find out about him.

I would give 4 1/2 Stars to Songs of a Teenage Nomad. I loved Calle's voice and perspective. Her honesty, insecurity, and strength were commendable. I was rooting for her throughout the book. I look forward to reading more books by Kim Culbertson.

She Fought Alone: This Is A Great YA Contempt Story!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

So I was loading up my netflix que, and this movie SHE FOUGHT ALONE popped up. I remembered when this came out on TV, mainly because of Brian Austin Green, but also for it's great story. I wanted to share this with you, my fellow YA writers, because we all find inspiration in different places. ENJOY!!


Movie Synopsis:

She cried rape. But no one would listen.
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Fastlane, Beverly Hills 90210, Saved by the Bell) and Brian Austin Green star in this disturbing true-to-life story directed by My Life and Times' Christopher Leitch. Thiessen stars as Caitlin Rose, a teenager who joins the coolest group in high school, boosting her popularity and giving her a chance to get closer to Ethan (Green). But Caitlin's happiness is destroyed when she is raped by star football player Jace, Ethan's best friend. When she reports the crime, Jace vehemently denies what happened. Suspected of lying, Caitlin becomes an outcast. With no one else to turn to, Caitlin takes a chance and confides in Ethan. Will he turn against her too or help her prove the truth? The crime shattered her life. But what followed was even worse.

 















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