"The Program" Review

Date Published: April 30, 2013

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Number of Pages: 408

Publisher: Simon Pulse

First Thoughts:

This was a very interesting and cool book to read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but I was hooked from the very first chapter. I was wowed and amazed at the creativity this book offered its reader. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Goodreads Summary:

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Plot:

This was a book about love and fighting as hard as you can to stay together. I loved the whole idea of “the program”. The author did a great job on creating a world that was filled with so many emotions and obstacles. The world was kind of scary too with the threat of “the program” and suicide being an epidemic. The pace of the book was pretty fast, I didn’t have any problems reading it. I was definitely involved in the characters story, I felt like I was actually there. So overall I enjoyed the story and liked that it was unique and filled with a lot of creativity.

Romance:

I really enjoyed the romance in the story, the relationship between Sloane and James was both sweet and realistic. I felt like the bond between the two was strong and rang of “soul mates”…I think everyone wants a relationship like theirs where there are no secrets and the love between the two of them is apparent and beautiful. The romance was a big part of this books plot and therefore the reader is more in tuned with the love between the two and the characters themselves. So overall I enjoyed the romance in this book and thought that it was believable and sweet.

Characters:

I enjoyed getting to know Sloane, she was a very deep and complex character. I was able to easily connect with her and understand why she was doing the things she was doing. As for James he was a little bit harder for me to connect with, it took me awhile to get comfortable with James and accepting him as Sloane’s other “half”. But I was eventually able to connect with him too. As for the rest of the characters I enjoyed them and thought they played their roles perfectly for this story. I particularly enjoyed “Lacey” (I wonder why lol).So overall I enjoyed the characters and thought they added another level to the story.

Transformation of the Character:

There was a little transformation in this book but not a lot. The transformation was noticeable but in my opinion the character stayed almost the same throughout the book. But Sloane did change a little but she was good at hiding her emotions. So overall I didn’t think this was an important aspect to the book.

Description:

I really enjoyed the description in the book, I thought author did a particularly good job on describing the characters thoughts and emotions. I could really sense the fear in Sloane and anguish she was feeling as her world came crumbling down. As far as describing the scenery, you could tell the author was very good with her color choices. She really seemed to match the colors to the characters emotions. The color yellow and white were used to define cleanliness and happiness….I really loved how the author used colors to define the situation. So overall I enjoyed the description in the book.

Style:

This was written in one POV and in first person. I think both of these points were good choice to use. Seeing all the events take place from one POV allowed the reader to become immersed in just that one character, you were able to become one with Sloane and feel what she felt; saw the world through just her eyes. And being in first person helped the reader really understand what the character was feeling. As for the authors writing I quite enjoyed it and didn’t have any trouble reading it, it seemed to be up to par as far as young adult writing goes. So overall I enjoyed the style of the book.

Quote of the book:

““This is treatment…think of it as your antibiotic. We need to treat the virus, and then you’ll be free of it. Take the pill and go home, Sloane. It’s as simple as that.”

I consider arguing, fighting my way out. But there’s nothing outside this office but the stark white halls of The Program.”

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to any YA reader, it has its moments but in all I found it to be an enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series “The Treatment”: So in the end I enjoyed the creativity of this book and look forward to future writing by this author. This was one book I don’t think I will ever forget about. 

My Rating:

I'm Back!!

Hey,

I want to deeply apologize for being non-existent for these past couple of months but I am finally able to come back and bring you my reviews. I am just now getting back into the swing of things. Just stick with me for the next week or so and I should have a pretty cool review out for you guys.

Love you guys!

-Lacey

Here’s a list of some of the books on my to read pile:

Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2) by C.C. Hunter

Perfect Glass (Glass Girl #2) by Laura Anderson Kurk

Swimming Through Clouds by Rajdeep Paulus

"It's Complicated" Review

Date to be Published: April 1, 2013

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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

"Glass Girl" Review

Date to be published: April 1, 2013

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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:

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 1^st 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 1^st ‘’

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:

Website, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter

Laura Anderson Kurk:

Website, Facebook, Twitter

Stephanie Morrill:

Website, Facebook, Twitter

Jennifer Murgia:

Website, Facebook, Twitter

Rajdeep Paulus:

Website, Facebook, Twitter

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.

"You Got Me" Review

Date Published:

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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:

Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise Review

Published: November 12, 2012

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Number of Pages: 357

Publisher: Self-Published

First Thoughts:

I found this book to be highly entertaining and interesting. There was plenty going on in the mythology world and I loved seeing all the new and old characters interacting. This was a very creative and intriguing story and I found myself wrapped up in Chloe’s adventures once again. I loved the fact that the pages seemed to fly by and I didn’t even notice at times how quickly I was reading the story. This was definitely a fun and quick read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Plot:

Finally! Yes we are finally privileged to learn what Strafford’s big secret is and wow it’s both intriguing and moving at the same time. I won’t say exactly what it is (that would spoil it, duh!) but I will say that I very much understand why he’s kept it to himself. On other news the plot was filled with tons of sub-plots, there was always something going on, if it wasn’t the gang’s conflicts it’s Chloe’s brothers conflicts or the Gods conflicts. You’re not left with no action in this book, it’s full of twist and turns, betrayals and reunions. This is a highly fast paced book and left little room for slower moments. There’s a lot that we as the reader learn about this world and the characters in it. So much happens, so many decisions are made, it all adds up to an awesome second book. The ending was good, left the reader with a small cliffhanger but nothing to bite your nails over. I kind of thought the author did very well on the ending, leaving the perfect opening for book 3. So overall I enjoyed the plot and thought it was full of surprises and twists.

Romance:

The romance is about the same as in the first book, it’s sweet but not too lovey dovey. As for the conflict in the romance area there wasn’t really any, it seemed like the story was more focused on the actual plot than the romance. So overall this was good aspect to the story.

Characters:

Loved to meet the new and old characters again, I was once again reunited with some of my favorite characters and risked back into their world. And I loved the new characters as well, we were able to really get to know all of them and begin to understand why they act the way they do. I didn’t find it hard to once again connect with Chloe or Strafford and actually found their POV’s intriguing and fun to read about. I think we really learned more about these two characters more than anything else. So overall I enjoyed the characters in this book.

Transformation of the Character:

There was definitely more transforming that occurred in this book. We start to learn why the characters are they way they are and learn how their growing from their mistakes and trying to become a better them. There weren’t any specific transformations that stood out to me but the overall feeling was good.

Description:

There was plenty of description in this book, the author painted a very clear picture of each scene. It was more like watching the show than reading it, the attention to detail was very fine and precise and I found I enjoyed the fighting scenes the best. Writing a fight scene is very hard, trust me I’ve tried it, there’s just so much action that it’s hard to put down onto paper exactly all that is happening but this author seemed to be able to hone this skill and zero in on exactly the important parts in each high action scene. So overall I enjoyed the description in the story and didn’t think there was too much or too little.

Style:

This was written in multiple POV’s and in first person. This allowed the reader to get a good perspective on all that is happening and help move this story along. I think this was necessary in the fact that how this story is laid out, multiple POV’s are almost required. And the writing itself was good, I only found a few grammer errors but other than that enjoyed the story itself and al that it had to offer. So overall this was a good aspect to the story.

Quote of the Book:

“The world swirled around her like Apollo had struck a chord on his lyre, transporting her straight to hell…she couldn’t breathe right. This could not be real. She was dreaming, because what Strafford had shown her just couldn’t be her reality.”

Goodreads Summary:

It’s official. Myth is doomed.

And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault.

Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now.

With her Prince boyfriend, Strafford, and the Quad Fraternity always armed and ready to annihilate the opposition, she will embark on a mission to stop a great power that could consume every god in Myth...and everyone else she’s come to love.

But the worst is still to come.

Dark, painful secrets are revealed, threatening to tear Strafford from her arms, and just when she thinks the future could not look more grim, she is betrayed in the worst way.

With the heavens crumbling down around her, she must hurry to find a way to set things right. But will she be in time to save the one she loves most in the world from a fate that may be more dangerous than her own?

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this book to fans of the first book in this series and to anyone who is into Greek mythology. This was a very exciting and fast paced book and can’t wait to learn more about this world and it’s characters in the book to come. So overall I found this read enjoyable and fast. 

My Rating: