Friday, March 29, 2013

"It's Complicated" Review


Date to be Published: April 1, 2013

Add it on Goodreads

Number of Pages: 131

Publisher: PlaylistFiction

First Thoughts:

The first thought that came to my mind while reading this book was “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. The relationships between these four teens are amazing, and their stories are even more so. Laura Smith was brilliant by tying these four alike but different persons together, bringing together four different lives and tying them together like a perfect little bow. I enjoyed reading each of their stories and discovering life right alongside them.

Plot:

This book consisted of four different stories merging into one. I liked how each story had its own conflict but was still able to merge with the other stories. I really enjoyed Claire’s story, I felt like I could relate more to her…and her story was more touching to me, I felt like I connected with what happens to her. Overall, the plot was very well written, the pace was average, nothing too slow. There always seemed to be something happening therefore giving the reader something to enjoy. I felt that these four stories were realistic and very much possible, it made me want to be their roommate, count me in girls! But on a serious note, I did enjoy each story and felt that they held great meaning and lessons to be learned.

Romance:

There was definitely some romance in this story, some serious and some comical….there’s a couple of scenes I’ll never forget. So overall I enjoyed the romance in this story, it played some major roles in some of the stories and little in the others. The romance was pretty much balanced out between the four of them.

Characters:

Loved the characters in this book, each of them had a distinctive personality that made me want to meet them in reality. I loved that they were so easy to connect with, each one had its own special connection. Each of the characters were placed just right and had their own role to play. Overall I loved the characters, they’re one of my favorite things about this book.

Transformation of the Character:

The characters did a little transforming in this book, some did it willingly and some did it by force but either way seeing the transformations was both beautiful and inspiring. Though I still see some more room for growing and therefore I wouldn’t say that the transformations were complete but they’re on their way to becoming something great. Overall I enjoyed the transformations that started to bloom in this book.

Description:

Loved the description, never been to Paris but by the authors pure description itself I could really picture what it looked like. Can I say I want one of those key chains Claire got for her roomies?! Anyways I enjoyed the sightseeing I was able to do, I felt like I was in all of the places these stories take place, it was amazing seeing new places. I also like the emotions I felt in each character. Each one had their own signature and I was really able to pick up on the frequency of them. I was able to feel the emotions in these stories, sometimes I laughed, sometimes I was on the verge of tears and sometimes I was just calmed and relaxed. But either way I still enjoyed the description the author put into this book.

Style:

This was written in four POV’s and in first person. I enjoyed seeing the stories take place in these four POV’s. There’s no way you would be able to get as much information as we did without there being that many POV’s. Having it in first person also allowed us to connect better with the characters and what was going on around them. I enjoyed the authors writing style and didn’t have any problems with it, she really has a way with words. Overall I enjoyed the style of the book and thought it was best suited for it.

Quote of the book:

“Ethereal mist fills the air. Surely it’s just dust, illuminated y the sunlight playing through the stained glass windows, but it seems like magic sprinkled in the air.”

Goodreads Summary:

There’s a reason Facebook has the relationship status, “It’s Complicated.” Follow four college roommates, Claire, Palmer, Hannah and Kat as they maneuver crushes, confusion, and the crisis when pushy boys go too far. Complicated as it is, these four friends will pull through, guided by the strength of their friendship and the power of God’s love.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to teens and young adults, it has that aura of youth. The whole new to college and roomies thing really adds to the book. But really this book could be for any age, the fun and energy this book holds is amazing. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing their stories in the book to come. Let’s just hope the wait isn’t too long J


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

"Glass Girl" Review


Date to be published: April 1, 2013

Add it on Goodreads

Number of Pages: 305

Publisher: PlaylistFiction

First Thoughts:

I loved so much about this book, the way it captured my heart, the way it made it hard to put down. This was such a fragile and precious story and I fell right in love with all the characters and scenery surrounding them. I enjoyed reading this book, I tried my best to savor every last morsel of the book….this book taught me so much about loss and grief, it was like I was experiencing it myself, the heartache, the sadness and deepness to the character; it amazed me.

Plot:

The plot was very well organized and created; I loved the way the author was able to create a story not only about grief but a little romance too. I just loved seeing Meg and Henry’s relationship blossom, it created a great sub-plot to the main plotline. The pace of the story was just right, I didn’t detect any parts that dragged. I really enjoyed the story itself and loved reading right alongside Meg. This story really held a lot of emotions that I was able to truly feel, I didn’t even have to struggle to feel the grief and sadness that Meg felt and that’s the kind of story I love to read, a book that gets my emotions involved. Overall I enjoyed the plot and thought it was a great story.

Romance:

I loved the romance in this book, it was sweet to see the slowly blossoming romance. I didn’t think that the love felt fake, it felt genuine and true. I loved the relationship between Meg and Henry and felt that it added to the story, it allowed the characters to grow.

Characters:

I loved all the characters in this story, they acted and seemed so real. I thought they actually added to the story, they made the reading that much enjoyable. I also thought that they were placed in just the right places that made the story seem more alive and true. I also thought that the characters were created beautifully and I felt that they were more of an actual person than made up character. Overall I really enjoyed the characters in this book.

Transformation of Character:

Meg did transform some in this book, we got to see her at her highest grief point down to her acceptance of said grief. But the transformation was both beautiful and believable. It was gradual and took time and that made it more realistic. So overall the transformations that took place in this story were great and painted a good picture of a new character.

Description:

The description was the best part of this book I thought. I loved how the author used attention to detail and made picturing each scene easy and convenient. I think the best part of the description was when she was describing the emotions, I really got a sense of what the character was feeling and also what they were thinking. The description of being fragile was brilliant, the whole concept of this book deals with the assumption that Meg is made of Glass and she could shatter at any moment, the descriptions that went along with that were awesome and beautifully placed. As far as dialogue goes, there wasn’t any problems with it and it all seemed to match with the character. So overall I loved the description in this story and thought it was both brilliant and artistic.

Style:

This book was written in one POV and in first person. This was ideal because we as the reader really needed to get inside Meg’s head and really get to know and understand her. The emotional part of this book wouldn’t have been astounding if it was written in another POV. This way we got to see everything Meg was seeing and get to hear her thoughts. The writing itself was beautiful and creatively mastered. There were moments in the book where it seemed almost poetic….the way the words twisted and snarled, it was amazing. So overall I enjoyed the style of this story.

Quote of the Book:

“Uncle David told me once that our thoughts are just whiffs of chemicals that combine in a miraculous way to form feelings and emotions---seems like a dangerous accident waiting to happen. A certain combination will create arousal….another combination just infinitesimally different will create disgust. One combination and you’ve got a hero…”

Goodreads Summary:

The ice cold fear I’d felt, not knowing if Wyatt was alive, pressed into the wall with other girls and surrounded by guys who were unspeakably brave, hit my body again in a wave. This was trauma—the gift that keeps on giving.

When Meg Kavanagh finds herself in the unthinkable role of grieving sister, she discovers some harsh truths—parents aren’t perfect, life’s not always sweet, and the dead don’t write back. Worried she might have caused Wyatt’s death, Meg folds her heart into a box. Her famous mom grieves by slowly disappearing, and her dad copes by moving them to a small town in Wyoming.

What she finds in Wyoming blindsides her.

His name is Henry, and he’s a rancher’s son who pulls Meg into his larger-than-life world and shows her that being sensitive is not an excuse to sit this one out. Meg wants to be brave like Henry because the best things in life—like falling in love and finding mercy—require uncommon courage. And Henry has a secret that changes everything.

From YA author Laura Anderson Kurk comes an unconventional and bittersweet story of first love and family ties. Fans of Deb Caletti and Sara Zarr will appreciate Kurk’s authentically imperfect characters and emotional storytelling.

With characters who feel real enough to walk the halls of your high school, Glass Girl sheds light on tenderness, the rush of first love, and the miracle of mercy.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to any teen or young adult who is willing to learn about the stages of grief and what it can do to a person. This was both and insightful and fun book to read, I never wanted to put it down. I would totally want to read more about Meg and Henry, I fell in love with the way the two interacted and would love to see a continuance of their story. Overall this was a artistic and beautiful story.

My Rating:


Monday, March 18, 2013

Introducing: "Playlist Fiction" Street Team


Hello fellow friends,

I have some great news for you and I hope you’re just going to love this idea as much as I did. I was graciously added to The Playlist Street Team. What is the Playlist Street team you ask?! We’re a team of authors and bloggers who are going to rock your world. Starting this week I'm going to start introducing you in more details about these authors, so be on the lookout for that!

Starting April 1st we’re going to start promoting new books to you in fun and exciting ways.



“Playlist Fiction is a new line of riveting, relevant young adult fiction by authors Laura Anderson Kurk, Stephanie Morrill, Jennifer Murgia, Rajdeep Paulus and Laura L. Smith. Playlist Fiction is backed by MacGregor Literary, Inc.”

We're a collection of Contemporary Young Adult ebook titles that are full of life, laughter, tears and all that falls in between.
Are you ready to Download the Drama? We launch April 1st ‘’

Isn’t this exciting?! You are going to be a part of something big and get to have the fun right alongside me. We’re going to get to see new covers, learn more about these authors and their books and have some fun doing it. So please mark your calendars because April is gonna rock!

Here’s some of the authors info. Please check them out; they’re all awesome!

Laura L. Smith:


Laura Anderson Kurk:


Stephanie Morrill:


Jennifer Murgia:


Rajdeep Paulus:




I hope to introduce you to some of the fellow bloggers on the Street Team so that you can check out their posts too...

Anyways hope you guys are just as excited as I am and I hope you follow alongside me through this awesome journey.

Friday, March 8, 2013

"You Got Me" Review


Date Published:

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it on Amazon or B&N

Number of Pages: 222

Publisher: Self-Published

First Thoughts:

This was a touching story about overcoming your personal battles. Though I didn’t quite like it as much as “Don’t Tell” I still enjoyed the deep emotions and scenarios the characters were put through There was an edge to this that really got the reader to connect with Roxy and her inner turmoil’s.

Plot:

I quite enjoyed this laid back kind of book, the pace of it was good, it had its slower moments to allow the reader to savor what was happening. This whole book was placed mostly on a college campus so you get that young adult feel to the story. This isn’t your typical romance kind of novel but instead it’s a novel about a love so deep that you’ll be wishing for that same kindness and tenderness in your relationship. This had a few intense moments but nothing a reader can’t handle. There were a couple of sub-plots that were just as good as the main plot, it really added conflict and excitement to the story. As for my overall thought about the plot, I thought it was good and unique in its own way but somewhere and I’m not sure where this book is lacking a certain spark…it’s good but it seems to be missing something. So in the end I enjoyed the storyline just wished it would have touched me more than it really did.

Romance:

This book is all about romance, it shows you the beginning and middle of romance, you really get to see how this romance blossoms. I really enjoyed the romance and seeing how sweet and real it was. This is the kind of romance every women wants…very good in the sense it brought a realistic relationship to light and told a very sweet and realistic story.

Characters:

I enjoyed the many characters that were introduced in this book. The only issue I found with the characters is that they seemed too real, like plastic kind of way. This actually might be what the story was missing, I just felt that the characters didn’t always react to the main conflict right. But the characters themselves were beautifully crafted and I felt the author did a good job on placing in the right spots in the story. So overall I iked the characters themselves but necessarily their reactions.

Transformation of Character:

There was definitely a transformation in this story, it was beautiful to watch and read. I really enjoyed that it was not rushed and was revealed at just the right moments. The signs of the transformation was obvious so there isn’t any hidden contexts that you should worry about. It was just a smooth and average transformation.

Description:

I did enjoy the description in the story, I felt like the characters were placed in just the right settings. The description of the campus allowed me to really picture what it looked like and how what was taking place. I really enjoyed the attention to detail, the emotions was the best part of the book, the way the author described how the characters were feeling. The emotions were really great and it showed us how sweet and deep the characters themselves really were.

Style:

This was written in two POV’s and in first person. I thought this was the right style for the book, we were able to get just the right amount of coverage we needed to better understand the storyline. Being written in Roxy’s and Aiden’s POV really allowed the reader to get to know the two characters more. As for the author’s writing itself, it was good and fun to read. I really enjoyed reading Roxy’s and Aiden’s story. So overall the style was good in this novel.

Quote of the Book:

“I looked around the all too familiar room, wishing I was anywhere except for here. I waited, but no fairy godmother came, and unfortunately, I was once again reminded that this was real.”

Goodreads Summary:

Roxy is broken

Aiden wants to fix her

No matter how hard Roxy tries to overcome her past, she can't. She writes on her arms to escape the pain, but nothing can soothe the ache that she feels.

Aiden didn't go to college to meet girls, he came to play football. Too bad that it is impossible for him to stay away from Roxy.

After meeting on the roof, they instantly feel connected, but neither of them are ready for love.

You Got Me is a story about new beginnings, and finding love when you least expect it.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to young adults and adults, there is some language and content that might not be suitable for a younger reader. I enjoyed this book and will continue to read more books by this author; she has a knack at getting to my emotions.

My Rating: