Book Review: Solitaire - Alice Oseman

Title: Solitaire

Author: Alice Oseman

Release Date: March 30th 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ARC from publisher

Goodreads

In case you're wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that's all over now.

Now there's Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don't know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don't care about Michael Holden.

I really don't.

Solitaire is one of those books that just reeks "ominous". Everything from the cover to the summary and even the other reviews that I've read made me expect the emotional rollercoaster that this book is, but something about it just didn't work.

The book starts off slow as we are introduced to the characters. Tori, our main character, is the kind of teenager that I never enjoy reading about in fiction: angsty and demotivated. She has a lot of nothingness in her that seeped through the pages of the book, and at the same time it is her voice that will keep readers glued in. But although she had my attention, I had a hard time relating to her or any of the other characters, and I believe that is the reason why I failed to finish reading this the first time I picked it up: it was so damn slow and, in some parts, pointless.

We're so used to disaster that we accept it. We think we deserve it.

The story picks up when Solitaire, a prankster blog, starts wreaking havoc in Tori's school. At first the pranks are harmless and Tori, being as depressed about life as she is, could not care less about it. But as the pranks progress and people are harmed, Tori gets the resolve to find out who's behind the blog and put a stop to it. This is the part where I started rolling my eyes every few pages or so because it made no sense at all. I'm going to keep it at that before I spoil it for any of you guys.

It's so easy to assume you know everything about a person.

Although I have my reservations, Solitaire is one book that I will recommend to those looking for a read similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I would suggest picking it up with lowered expectations because I have never been this irritated by a happy ending.

RATING:

Mini-Reviews {5}

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel

Author: Ransom Riggs

Release Date: October 29th 2013

Publisher: Yen Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Bought

Goodreads

When Jacob Portman was a boy, his grandfather regaled him with stories of his fantastic life at Miss Peregrine's home during the Second World War, even sharing photos of the remarkable children with whom he resided. As Jacob grew up, though, he decided that these photos were obvious fakes, simple forgeries designed to stir his youthful imagination. Or were they...?

Following his grandfather's death - a scene Jacob literally couldn't believe with his own eyes - the sixteen-year-old boy embarks on a mission to disentangle fact from fiction in his grandfather's tall tales. But even his grandfather's elaborate yarns couldn't prepare Jacob for the eccentricities he will discover at Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!

Graphic novels are even worse than hardcovers: they're beautiful and I want to pet them and read them but they're so damn expensive! That's the reason why this one's the only graphic novel I currently own. I was actually talking myself out of buying it but I just had to get one signed by Ransom Riggs when he visited my country years back. (Because yes, I read this back in *looks at Goodreads* 2014?! o.o)

Anyway, as this is the only graphic novel I own, this is also the only one I've read. I knew it would be a quick read but I didn't anticipate that I could read it in less than an hour. Wow. I seriously felt like I threw my money away but who cares because books are worth it! Also, the illustrations are really beautiful, just what I expected from Cassandra Jean whom I've been following on Tumblr for a long time now. 

What I appreciated most about this graphic novel is how I could revisit the first novel in half the time, especially since Miss Peregrine's felt too dragged out for me. I remember reading this before Hollow City, and now I can't wait to get my hands on the graphic novel for that second book so I can read it before I pick up Library of Souls!

RATING:

Title: The Beginning of Everything
Author: Robyn Schneider
Release Date: August 27th 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Goodreads

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life. 

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures. 

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

I'd probably get hate for what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it anyway: I am in the opinion that this book is overhyped. I read this less than a year ago but I can't even remember much of what happens in the book, only that it reminded me so much of a John Green novel, particularly Looking for Alaska (which is my favorite JG novel, by the way). Even Cassidy Thorpe's first appearance was so much like Alaska Young's, the cool, smart, hipster dream girl with a long list of secrets.

According to my notes, though, I did like how Ezra coped with the accident. He was hopeless, often dreary, but he kept it to himself instead of running around moping and screaming how unfair life is. Ezra and Cassidy's love story is also very similar to 500 Days of Summer, with Ezra thinking of Cassidy as his savior and heroine and her being somewhat strangled because of his expectations.

Just because I think this book is overhyped doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, because I did. In fact, I plan to read it again, give it another chance. I had a worse tragedy in mind for the ending but when everything was revealed, it all clicked into place. It's not what most people would ask for, but I believe it did the characters justice, and for me that's what's most important.

MY FAVORITE PART was the overnight debate tournament. Now that is how nerds have fun.

RATING:

Title: An Abundance of Katherines

Author: John Green

Release Date: September 21st 2006

Publisher: Dutton Books
Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Bought

Goodreads

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. 

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun - but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. 

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

At first I was only interested in reading this book because I loved Looking for Alaska, but then the cover got a redesign and I just had to own it in hardcover and naturally, I had to read it. I remember feeling up to something quirky when I picked this up, and boy, quirky was exactly what I got. 

Math is my biggest enemy. Like, I obviously love English (I love reading, duh), and Science is not so bad, but Math? Integral Calculus is what got me kicked out of two engineering programs, and although I totally - and finally - kicked the crap out of it last year, I still hate it. So to read a book that was filled with Math? My mind ran around in circles a few times while reading this.

Still, I really enjoyed it because it has John Green's signature wit, humor, and sarcasm that I will always love. No matter how inane their problems may be, his characters are always a redeeming factor in his books, and they sure are hilarious. This book made me want to go on a road trip, and I'm really looking forward to reading Paper Towns soon!

RATING:

Mini-Reviews: Camp Kiss; Unwrapping Liam; Hollow City

Title: Camp Kiss (Camp Boyfriend #0.5)
Author: J.K. Rock
Release Date: March 26th 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Free for a time period

Goodreads

The Camp Kiss That Started It All...

Lauren Carlson, a fourteen-year-old expert on the cosmos, superheroes, and science fiction trivia has a crush on her longtime camp friend, Seth. Last summer she’d dreamed about upgrading their relationship to BF/GF status and this year she has a plan... if only her well-meaning cabin mates wouldn’t interfere before she’s ready. She hasn’t even adjusted to her new braces yet, let alone imagined kissing Seth with them. When a dare pushes her out of her comfort zone, will she and Seth rocket out of the friendzone at last? There’s only one way to find out...

If I remember correctly, I got Camp Kiss when the publisher offered it for free to promote the release of Camp Boyfriend, but I only had the chance to read it a few months ago (yeah, that's how long this review is overdue) when I actually picked up the series. If you're new to the series, I really recommend starting it off with this novella because it sure provides a lot of insight that you'll need for the first book.

Lauren Carlson is back at summer camp, but this year she's excited to be there for a different reason. When before she only wanted to spend time with her closest friends, this time she's also looking forward to seeing Seth, her long-time friend and recently-developed crush. She's unsure whether to act on her feelings or not, afraid it will ruin their friendship, but when her cabinmates dare her to kiss him, she doesn't have much of a choice.

A cute, light, and fun read, I love how the writing in Camp Kiss reminded me of the butterflies and giddiness I felt whenever I saw a crush back in high school. It's that nostalgic.

MY FAVORITE PART was the kiss. Sigh :3

RATING:

Title: Unwrapping Liam (Good Girls Don't #1.5)
Author: Gennifer Albin
Release Date: April 22nd 2014
Publisher: Self-published
Age Group: New Adult
Source: Free for a time period
Goodreads

Jillian Nichols and Liam McAvoy finally got their happily ever after, but Christmas with Jillian's parents strains their new relationship. Will they ever get a minute alone?

Will Tara ever accept her daughter isn't broken?

And what will happen when Jillian finally unwraps Liam's Christmas present?

The holidays have never been so steamy.

This novella came out almost a year after the first book in the series, so by the time I read it I was practically jumping up and down in my seat with excitement. In Unwrapping Liam we see more of Jillian and Liam together, but made hilarious and tense because they are to spend the Christmas holidays with Jillian's parents.

Under the constant scrutiny of Tara, Jillian's easy-to-hate mother, her relationship with Liam is put to the test. Their interactions are more heated with desire because they need to sneak around like teenagers or risk being judged and reprimanded by Tara, but of course they get caught and of course it's amusing, haha. But as expected, Jillian grew tired of playing by her mom's rules soon enough, and let's just say I wasn't able to look at Christmas trees the same way for quite some time after reading this.

Overall, Unwrapping Liam did a swell job of getting me pumped up for Teaching Roman (which, spoiler alert, I also loved) and making me wish I had my own Liam. Now, where the heck is the third book in this series?!

MY FAVORITE PART was Liam making pies. Sweet Jesus.

RATING:

Title: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children #2)

Author: Ransom Riggs

Release Date: January 17th 2014

Publisher: Quirk Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Bought

Goodreads

September 3, 1940.

Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters.

And only one person can help them - but she's trapped in the body of a bird.

The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.

Hollow City draws readers into a richly imagined world of telepathy and time loops, of sideshows and shapeshifters - a world populated with adult "peculiars", murderous wights, and a bizarre menagerie of uncanny animals. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

I was more disappointed than anyone when I read Miss Peregrine's and found it somehow... underwhelming, which is why cracking this sequel open came with a certain amount of hesitance. I think I finally picked it up when the book practically flew off my shelf and thumped me on the head (spoiler alert: it didn't, but wouldn't that be awesome.)

Anyway, reading Hollow City was definitely easier and more fun than the first book. Right off the bat, I could tell that it would be more exciting, with less dragging and more of what I love most about this series: action and adventure with a magical group of, uh, kids. We also learn that there is just so much more to the peculiarity of the world that Riggs has created, and I can't wait to see all of these in a Tim Burton film. Man, it's going to be awesome.

Strange, I thought, how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.

Another thing I liked about Hollow City is how it's more on the historical fiction side than the first book, and how there was just so much more going on in it. I don't know if you can tell by how many times I've used the word in this review but in a nutshell, this sequel is just that: more.

MY FAVORITE PART was that shocking, twisty ending. Definitely didn't see that one coming.

RATING:

Book Review: Perfected - Kate Jarvik Birch

Title: Perfected

Author: Kate Jarvik Birch

Release Date: July 1st 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: eARC from publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows… and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving… and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

Imagine a world where girls are genetically engineered and raised to become a perfect pet. Once they are of age, they are sold to the highest bidders, brought home, and treated like a labradoodle or what have you, pampered like a princess and displayed like a gold bar. The girls are expected to obey every single one of their masters' whims because if they don't, they will be put down like a useless K9 (a practice that I absolutely abhor, by the way). There. See it in your head? If you can't, you need not worry because that's exactly what Perfected is about.

Your sole purpose is to enrich the lives of your new owners. 

This book ended up being different from what I'd expected. Instead of a full-blown action-packed sci-fi/dystopian, I feel like I read a contemporary with a side of action, so don't go into this expecting the former. That said, I can say that the premise made Perfected nothing like anything I've read before. The idea of breeding girls to be sold and used in whatever way was just sick and disgusting, and the need to know the reason behind the practice made this book a must-read for me.

Maybe freedom wasn't a state of being. Maybe it was an act of courage. Maybe freedom was defiance and sacrifice and pain, something that couldn't be won without giving up something else in return.

Ella - as she's named by her owner - knows only a life of refinement and obedience, and as a pet, she's perfectly alright with that. Her owners are kind enough, and she's well-fed and more than well-dressed; she doesn't have reason to want for more. But soon she learns how it is to be treated like property, and although most readers will find her helpless - which she was, indeed - that didn't irritate me at all because she was raised to be like that, like a damsel in distress. It was hard to relate to her, but it was easy to understand her.

The romance aspect was sweet enough, but to be honest, I could have done without it. It didn't distract from the story, but aside from being a major motivating factor for Ella, it didn't add much more to it; actually, I think it's the reason why this book, though unpredictable and intense, dragged in the middle. Good thing it picked up towards the end, but the ending? Let's just say it made me go "Wait. What? That's it?", and not in a good way.

MY FAVORITE PART is Penn playing for Ella :3

RATING:

Book Review: Minutes Before Sunset - Shannon A. Thompson

Title: Minutes Before Sunset (The Timely Death Trilogy #1)

Author: Shannon A. Thompson

Release Date: April 28th 2013

Publisher: AEC Stellar Publishing

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ecopy from author (Thanks again, Shannon!)

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

She was undoubtedly a shade, but I didn’t know her.

Eric Welborn isn’t completely human, but he isn’t the only shade in the small Midwest town of Hayworth. With one year left before his eighteenth birthday, Eric is destined to win a long-raging war for his kind. But then she happens. In the middle of the night, Eric meets a nameless shade, and she’s powerful—too powerful—and his beliefs are altered. The Dark has lied to him, and he’s determined to figure out exactly what lies were told, even if the secrets protect his survival.

He had gotten so close to me—and I couldn’t move—I couldn’t get away.

Jessica Taylor moves to Hayworth, and her only goal is to find more information on her deceased biological family. Her adoptive parents agree to help on one condition: perfect grades. And Jessica is distraught when she’s assigned as Eric’s class partner. He won’t help, let alone talk to her, but she’s determined to change him—even if it means revealing everything he’s strived to hide.

Paranormal romance is something I've been reading less and less of lately, so imagine my glee when I got the chance to read Minutes Before Sunset. And although it took a while for the book to capture my interest, I can say that when it did, I couldn't stop reading.

Unbeknownst to humans, a secret war has been brewing between the Dark and Light, beings who have special powers that correspond to their namesakes. A prophecy has foretold how the war will play out, so both sides are desperate to make sure it happens - or doesn't happen. Eric is of the Dark, a Shade, and as the first descendant, he will face the second descendant, who is of the Light, in the Marking of Change. His life consists of nothing but training and school, until he meets an unknown Shade in the forest.

One of the top reasons why I enjoyed this book was all the conspiracies. Even Eric, who plays a huge role in the prophecy, apparently doesn't know a lot, and that only added to the suspense factor. Jessica, on the other hand, is clueless. She's new to town, but more than making friends, her priority is to find information on her deceased birth parents. It's not very hard to guess so I'll just say it already: Jessica is the unknown Shade, and even without the training that Eric has been receiving for years, she easily gets adept with using her powers. The paranormal aspect of the book is very unpredictable, up until the end.

I was falling in love with her, and she was falling in love with me. It was fated, decided before any of us were born, and I hated it as much as I loved it. I could barely stand it.

Now for the romance. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it was sweet, if nothing else. And well-developed, too; no insta-love here, in case you're worried about that. All the sneaking around that Eric and Jessica had to do - with the Dark, Light, and even each other - made for one tense read. 

Like I said earlier, this genre is an unusual read for me nowadays, but I don't think the dual POV is something I've encountered in it before; it worked really well for the story because I've gotten quite tired of the scenario where the guy is always being mysterious and all that jazz until the girl unravels him. And just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist is shoved to my face (metaphorically speaking, of course). The sequel is definitely in my TBR list.

MY FAVE PART is Jessica's first visit to Eric's house.

RATING:

Book Review: Twinmaker - Sean Williams

Title: Twinmaker (Twinmaker #1)

Author: Sean Williams

Release Date: November 7th 2013

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: signed ARC from TBD Affiliates

Goodreads | The Book Depository

Clair is pretty sure the offer in the ‘Improvement' meme is just another viral spam, though Libby is determined to give it a try.

But what starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when her friend vanishes.

In her search for answers, Clair seeks out Jesse - a boy whose alternative lifestyle might help to uncover the truth.

What they don't anticipate is intervention from the mysterious contact known only as Q, and being caught up in a conspiracy that will change everything.

Twinmaker is not a book for the impatient. The reader is expected to catch on to meanings of the jargon used in this futuristic world and someone who's not focused on the book is bound to be confused, maybe even give up entirely, as I was tempted to do more than once. And how could I not feel that way when most of the first few chapters confused me? I was like, are they actually teleporting? What in the world is the Water Wars? An explanation early on would have been nice.

Aside from the history, the "present day" world-building also could have been better. The technology behind teleporting was explained well - although I presume science geeks would have a lot to say about it - but "fabbing", as in duplicating everything from food to clothes, was not. Or maybe it was, but I forgot about it somewhere in the middle of reading these five hundred pages.

But what this book lacks in world-building, it makes up for in its characters. There are a lot of them here, but the story is of course focused on Clair and her race to save her best friend Libby - a race that takes her farther than she ever imagined and makes her rethink everything she believed to be true her whole life. Her love for Libby was really touching albeit quite unrealistic because not even once did she get angry when Libby kept on antagonizing her after she'd gone through Improvement.

Clair's fight to reveal the truth about Improvement to the world gains her many friends and enemies - okay, more enemies than friends, but two people are by her side the whole time. First is Jesse, the outcast who answers her call without question, who helps her even when it's out of his comfort zone. I saw the romance coming more than a mile away, but I love how it's subtle and doesn't distract from the story at all. Clair also finds a friend in Q, the mysterious entity who is able to hack her way into almost anything as long as there's a signal. Without a doubt, Clair would have died a dozen times over if not for Q. 

"...but anything was possible in a world where people could be reduced to data - data that could be edited, copied and erased as easily as any other electronic file..."

Fast-paced and plain unpredictable, Twinmaker is one book that action fans will enjoy, although I imagine that nitpicky readers will have the same reservations as I did. The story could have progressed faster, indeed, so patience, I say again, because I can definitely say that it is worth it, and the sequel can't come fast enough.

MY FAVORITE PART is the ending. Whoa.

RATING:

{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Girl of Rage - Charles Sheehan-Miles

Title: Girl of Rage (Rachel's Peril #2)

Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles

Release Date: May 25th 2014

Publisher: Cincinnatus Press

Age Group: New Adult

Source: eARC for blog tour

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Four days ago, Andrea Thompson agreed to fly to the United States to help her sister Carrie. Four days ago, everything changed.

Now Andrea is lost and on the run. Dylan Paris is missing. Julia and Crank Wilson are under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. The Thompson family is scattered and in danger, and Andrea’s very identity may hold the key to unlock decades of buried secrets.

Andrea, the youngest member of the Thompson clan, sets out on a search to find answers. Who is attacking her family? Who is trying to kill her and why?

As Andrea seeks her answers, everything she thought she knew about her family will be turned upside down.

Girl of Rage picks up right where Girl of Lies left off, with the Thompson family under attack on all fronts by adversaries unknown to them. The sisters struggle to keep themselves safe while trying to discover the truth about the ugly past that their parents hid from them, one that carries with it a gruesome event that a handful of people in positions of power means to hide forever, no matter the cost.

I held out hope that this book would be less like its predecessor and more like the Thompson Sisters books and I ended up being disappointed because of that, but that's not to say Girl of Rage isn't a good book. Reading this felt like watching a telenovela that took its time telling the story of every single character, like throwing in a bunch of random ingredients into a pot and having nothing to do but wait and see what dish comes out of it. It requires a big amount of emotional investment in the characters to fully enjoy this series, which, fortunately, I have a ton of.

What surprised me the most about this sequel is how it made me feel for characters that I used to hate. *cough* Adelina *cough* In here we learn that there is more than a lot of history to everyone, and that has made them who they are now. The multiple POVs certainly made it easier to sympathize with everyone. 

Overall, Girl of Rage is better than Girl of Lies. More gripping, fast-paced, and unpredictable, I found it easier to plow through, and I am looking forward to reading the third book. Now, just what is up with that series title?

MY FAVORITE PART is the ending.

RATING:

 

About the author:
Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive, and is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America's Future. Charles and his partner Andrea Randall live and write together in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Remember to Breathe

Giveaway!

{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Don't Fall - Rachel Schieffelbein

Title: Don't Fall

Author: Rachel Schieffelbein

Release Date: May 27th 2014

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: eARC for blog tour

Goodreads | Amazon

In which a teenage girl endures the over-protective love of her adoptive mother until she falls for a boy who has her wanting to spread her wings, pitched as a contemporary retelling of Rapunzel.

Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn't go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn't even have a best friend.

But Anya doesn't seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she's allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.

Before long she's lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she's ever cared about.

At every mention of Rapunzel to describe a story, what I find myself most curious about is the reason behind the mother hiding her daughter from the rest of the world, and although Don't Fall didn't end up as dark as I'd thought it would, it was still a heartwarming read.

Anya's mother has her living a very sequestered life, and between their house and the library, Anya doesn't have much to do aside from photography. One day, she takes a photo of a boy at the library, but he catches her before she manages to sneak away. Zander and Anya hit it off and the friends become lovers, but their relationship soon feels the strain of Anya's overprotective mother.

Somehow, even outside the library and our clearing in the woods, we were still in our own world. Everything else could fade away, and he and I would remain, tied together by something I couldn't quite explain. In its simplest term, love.

It would be easy for some readers to mistake Anya and Zander's romance for insta-love when it's actually more like insta-attraction, which is realistic for two recluses like them. It was so much fun to watch their reluctanct advances towards a relationship, their Tuesdays-and-Thursdays-only meetings at the library and then at a cupcake shop. The story truly is focused on their romance and how it affects Anya and her mother, and it's perfect as a lazy day read.

I thought up all sorts of dark, twisted back stories for Anya's mother and her unusual way of rearing Anya, and while it didn't disappoint, I feel like I wanted more from this aspect of the book. But Don't Fall certainly made up for it in many other ways. Quite a handful of references to other well-known YA books are made in this one, but even without them, I believe Don't Fall is worth a read.

MY FAVORITE PART is the ending :3

RATING:

 

About the author:
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

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Giveaway!

{Blog Tour} Book Reviews + Giveaway: Camp Boyfriend & Camp Payback - J.K. Rock

Title: Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1)

Author: J.K. Rock

Release Date: July 2nd 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

Camp Boyfriend is one of those books wherein the characters kept me reading even when they irritated me to no end. Wtf moment, I know. But there's something good to be said when I get engrossed in a book enough to feel so much for the characters, right? Right. Of course.

As I type this review I'm in the middle of reading Camp Payback *points below* so I can say that at this point in the series the characters are all quite immature and narrow-minded, hence why I disliked almost all of them. First of all: Lauren. I hated how she strung Matt along for months, even when her feelings for him had changed and she knew she wanted her relationship with Seth, her camp boyfriend, to last for all seasons. It was unfair to Matt and totally ruined the Lauren/Seth relationship for me, which is sad because I loved them in the novella Camp Kiss.

But the root of Lauren's problems was her inability to stand up for herself. Unconsciously, she tried to please everyone - be it her family or her friends - in expense of herself. The combination of unapologetic nerd and sassy cheerleader that she'd become over the past year suffered greatly when she came to summer camp where everyone knew her as just the nerd, and I really pitied her.

Aside from Lauren, the people around her irritated me so much more. Her insensitive mom and sister I could handle, but her camp friends who were her lifelong besties? They turned up their judgmental noses when they found out she'd become pretty and was dating a jock. And they were all so freaking unbelievable! People change the same way Lauren did, but for some reason her friends didn't and they resented her for being different? They only liked the version of her that kept them happy and fit the mold they'd made for her, not the new and real her she'd turned into. God. I just wanted to Lauren to find better friends.

Camp Boyfriend didn't impress me much, but don't get turned off by all the ranting I did because I assure you, a ton of character development happens in this book. If you're patient with characters and are not too particular with your contemporary, then this is the one for you.

MY FAVORITE PART was a certain someone singing a song he wrote himself <3

RATING:

Title: Camp Payback (Camp Boyfriend #2)

Author: J.K Rock

Release Date: April 29th 2014

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: NetGalley

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Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she's headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall.

Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn't seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex's trouble-magnet personality and Javier's need to stay in the background don't mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry.

With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?

I lowered my expectations for Camp Payback because Camp Boyfriend wasn't as amazing as I'd thought it would be, but that turned out to be absolutely unnecessary because, oh my lord, this book packed the feels and swoon that just entertained me for hours.

While its predecessor was also filled to the brim with drama, this sequel just got it perfectly. And it also helped that I loved the main characters individually and as a couple. Alex, the not-so-rebel whose family saw nothing but her mistakes, is actually a brave and straight-forward girl who only wants to live a real life, not be known as the troubled kid of the family behind the Wholesome Home blog. With all the criticisms she's had to face, it's been ingrained in her mind that she's useless and problematic, and I'd have gone crazy a long time ago if I were her.

Whereas her previous summers at camp were nothing but fun, this time Alex has to face a crazy ex who pushes her so hard on the first day that she just loses it and saunters to a complete stranger... and kisses him. Javier, the new kid at Camp Juniper Point who only wants to keep out of trouble, isn't too thrilled when one of the camp girls walks up and kisses him point blank, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for her, especially when she's like a walking sun to his dark life. I loved how their relationship got off a rocky start and then turned into friendship-slash-romance. A lot of people were against the two of them being together, but that only made me love them more.

A far cry from Camp Boyfriend, this book was so easy and so fun to read. The story was very romantic and full of swoon, what with Javier being a fantastic chef - and humming while he cooks! Camp Payback truly is the perfect summer read and until now I grin whenever I think of Alex and Javier.

MY FAVORITE PART was the ending. Sigh <3

RATING:

About the authors:

J. K. Rock is the pseudonym for YA writing partners - and sisters-in-law - Joanne & Karen Rock. Although they started out sharing an annual shopping trip, they ended up discussing their favorite films and books, joining the same book club and talking about writing... a lot. Their debut novel, Camp Boyfriend, is the first in a three-book series plotted during family pool parties. Their creative partnership is unique in that they enjoy passing a book back and forth, each adding a chapter and fine-tuning the chapter before. Years of friendship has yielded a shared voice and vision for their work that makes writing a pleasure.

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