Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 408
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Every time I read a book by Maggie Stiefvater I always find myself being astonished by the way she is able to pull readers into her books. She has one of the more unique and amazing voices in YA today. The way she is able to take such unique ideas like the plot behind The Raven Boys and craft it into this amazing work of art is something it seems she is able to do with ease.

The Raven Boys is a really, really unique story. Sure you see some elements of it throughout the world of YA, but as a whole it was really fresh and stands out among the crowd. I felt like the first thing that drew me in was the intrigue that is created around the actual "Raven Boys" who you are introduced to fairly quickly. But at the very start, you're just left wondering why Maura doesn't want Blue interacting with these boys. It's so difficult to explain just what this book is about, you have things like Fey Lines, rituals, Latin speaking. I'm not even going to go into the Latin part, although there was one scene in particular that involved Latin that was pretty awesome. There is just so much going on in this book, but you don't really feel as though you're overwhelmed. Maggie really does a great job at making sure all aspects of the book is balanced and enjoyable for the reader.

The characters were outstanding, I think Blue and Gansey just my make my list of favorite Female and Male characters for 2012. Blue has such an awesome personality, and it just gets better when she is around the boys even though her mother doesn't want her being around them. I'm not going to go into detail about the rest of the boys or Maura who is Blue's mom, but they were all extremely well written and enjoyable. I even really enjoyed some of the more minor characters such as Persephone. I'm just interested to see where things go for the characters, and what new characters we might be introduced to in book two.

I didn't feel like there was a ton of closure in the ending, but to be quite honest I wasn't really expecting there to be. there was just way to much going on at the end for it to really be wrapped up, but it will help make for a great transition into book two of the series, which I can't wait to get my hands on. It's going to be a long wait, but after experiencing this epicness I am sure it will be worth it.

The Raven Boys is without a doubt a book that you should check out once it is released in September. It's a little on the heavier side, in content and length but overall it's an extremely enjoyable book with a very unique and beautifully written story. I really hope that when you all get a chance to read this book that you will enjoy it as much as I did. I can't say that it is my favorite of the year, but I can assure you that it will make my list at the end of the year.

Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Tara Fuller
Release Date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 400
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.
It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Inbetween was a really interesting book. When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded good but I didn't quite expect the amount of detail that actually went into it. I feel like I would of enjoyed it even if it had half the detail that it actually did. So Tara went well and beyond with this book, and I feel like that is a great thing. It makes the book that much more enjoyable and engrossing.  And the writing in this book was fantastic, which helped even more with making this book a lot more fun to read.

The story was pretty interesting, I haven't seen many YA books dealing with reapers in the literal soul taking sense so that was cool to see. I also loved that the story had some freaky elements to, before you get to know the complete background of everything. The scene by the creek during a party that takes place in the book is a great example of one of the scarier scenes in the book. I was really impressed with how Tara made everything work together and I loved the relationship she created between Emma and Finn. And the tension between Finn and the other reapers because of that relationship. The only thing I could feel myself being really picky about was that there were a few scenes that I felt dragged on a little to long, which is why I decided to drop down to an overall four star rating.

As I mentioned above, I loved the relationship between Emma and Finn. At first, it took a little while to get use to with Finn being a reaper and Emma being human. But once the story really gets going it becomes much easier to accept the relationship and appreciate it for what it is and the things it will eventually lead to. But I won't get into that. There are a lot of other really great characters in Inbetween, such as Cash who is Emma's best friend. He is a great character, that I really hope to learn more about in the next book especially after the events at the end of the book. Then you have the other reapers, and Balthazaar but there is a huge part of the story attached to them so I don't really want to go into a lot of detail. All of the characters were great though, and I think you will really enjoy them once you get a chance to read the book.

The ending was fantastic, I don't even really know what to say. It's one of those endings that just leaves you there thinking "Did that really just happen?" I was really impressed with where Tara decided to take the story. There were some things that happened toward the end that completely caught me off guard, and then there were others that were somewhat predictable due to previous events in the book. But when it comes down to it, I think Tara did an amazing job wrapping this book up and it really leaves you wanting to dive directly into the second book. Which sadly won't happen for awhile, but I am excited to see where things go after the final events of this book.

I would highly suggest reading Inbetween. Other than the issue I had with some scenes seeming to go on for a little to long, I really think this book is amazing and will be enjoyed by a lot of people. So if it sounds like a book you'd enjoy, I would say that it is well worth reading. I just wish we didn't have to wait for the second book, I am sure you will feel the same after you finish the book.


Guest Video:





Make sure to check out the video Tara created for my tour stop, and she has a question at the end that you can answer in the comment section of her video or on this post. I appreciate Tara taking the time to make a video for the tour stop and I hope you all will enjoy it.



Giveaways:

E-Book Giveaway:

I am allowed to host a giveaway for a e-book copy of Inbetween thanks to the awesome people at Inbetween. So if you're not familiar with how giveaways like this work everyone that meets the criteria is able to enter and once a winner is chosen I will forward your email to the publicist hosting the tour so they can get you the copy of Inbetween.

Rules:

1. You must be 13 or older to enter.

2. International.

3. Use the RaffleCopter Below to enter.


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Tara's Giveaway:


Rules:

1. Open to US entries only.

2. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.



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Author: Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Release Date: August 21st, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 277
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all.

I was really hoping that Over You would be a great book, when I had read the description I thought it sounded like it could be good. I was really expecting some things to be different than what they actually where though, and I was really disappointed with the way things played out. As far as the writing goes, it was decent. Not the best I have seen, but it was enjoyable from that aspect.

I had so many issues with the story once I actually started reading it. When I started this book, I thought it was going to be about a girl that was able to get over a bad relationship and use that to help other teen girls be able to overcome the heartbreaks they go through. Isn't that what you get from reading the description to? Well, I was really deceived by the description and wasn't really expecting what you actually get. You still have Max and her friends helping other girls, but my main issue was with Max and her relationship with Hugo which is the one she was supposedly suppose to be getting over. I got so incredibly annoyed when Max would pull out her box of "Hugo Memories" and sit there and cry her brains out over this guy. And she is suppose to be helping these other girls get over their broken hearts? It just didn't really play together very well.

I didn't really care for the characters in this book either. Zach and Ben were probably two of the better characters. But Max was easily one of the most annoying female characters I have seen in a book. I can understand having trouble getting over something, but why would you continue to bring up old memories when she knows it's just going to make her curl up in a ball and cry? Doesn't make sense to me. I was really hoping for something more, I just think things took such a negative path. It would of been so much better if it was like I had originally thought where she had actually got over Hugo and was just using that experience to help these girls. Having Hugo show up should of never caused the mess that takes place.

I just honestly can't think of to many redeeming factors for this book. There were moments I really enjoyed it, which is the only reason I would warrant a three stars. But there were other moments I just wanted to put it down and walk away. One of the most redeeming factors though was the ending, I did really like how things turned out for Max. And surprisingly, she was a lot less annoying at the end of the book. I just really wish that would of happened earlier on, and that things didn't play out the way they did. She could of handled Hugo in a much better way than she did.

I'm really on the fence about if I'd recommend this book or not. While I am sure there are people that will enjoy it, it just really didn't do it for me. I tried my best to enjoy it, but it got to a point where it became a chore to finish. If it wasn't for the moments I did enjoy throughout it, I wouldn't of even gave it three stars. But those few moments where I really got into the story were a lot of fun. I just wish there would of been more focus put on Max helping the other girls and actually getting over Hugo, rather than having Max dive head first into a state of pity whenever she thought about him. I just can't help but think she could of handled things so much better, and in turn made the book that much more enjoyable to read. So I will leave this one up to you, if it sounds like a book you want to read then go for it.

Thanks to Harper for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

 I'm not sure exactly how long of a list this will be, as it is only a precursor to the final wrap up that I will be posting towards the end of December.



1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (Very likely that this book will be my overall favorite at the end of the year.)

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Check out my review of Something Strange and Deadly: here 

Check out an interview I did with Susan: here


2. Nevermore by James Patterson (Read the first seven books in July, and was so excited to read the finale this month. It was a great end to the series.)

One last chance...
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.
Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming.

Check out my review of Nevermore: here 


3. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Huge fan of Julie's Iron Fey series, and thoroughly enjoyed her take on Vampires.)

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.

Check out my review of The Immortal Rules: here 


4. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry (Easily one of my favorite Contemporary novels so far this year.)

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Check out my review of Pushing The Limits: here 


5. Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer (One of the most beautifully written books that I have read this year.)

What happens when happily ever after... isn’t?
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

Check out my review of Between the Lines: here 



As I said before, this is just a small sample of some of my absolute favorite books so far this year. I just wanted to highlight a few of them to draw some more attention to these titles since they are already out. I will be releasing a much larger and more in-depth list once the end of the year actually gets here. But to date, I feel like I got a very solid list of favorites that have an extremely high potential of remaining on that final list.

A few questions for you: (Answer in comments, if you'd like to)

1. What have been some of your favorite books so far this year?

2. Are there any 2012 titles that have yet to be released that you're extremely excited for? If so, what titles?


Hope you enjoyed this post, and can't wait to see what you think of my favorites so far and to see the answer to the questions above if you choose to answer them.

This stems from my recent one year blogoversary post where I had asked what people might like to see me do more of in my second year of blogging. And the majority of the responses were just Meme's. While I do plan to do Meme's such as Top Ten Tuesday, In My Mailbox and an occasional different one, out of the many that are out there. I really want to know what other things you might like to see me feature on the blog. I figured it'd give me an opportunity to interact more with my followers, and be able to provide you with more content that you're interested in hearing my opinion on or whatever the case might be.

Just use the form that I have created below to submit your answers, and once I start getting some and if they are topics that actually fit in with the blog, I will start working on posting some of them.

If you do leave a suggestion using the form especially if it is a discussion topic, please leave your first name and blog name if you have a blog so I can credit you in the post whenever I am able to post it. 





If you don't want to use the form, you're welcome to leave your suggestions in the comment section. Just wanted to create the form to make it easier for me to keep up with everything.

Can't wait to hear your suggestions.

Author: Elisabeth Wheatley
Release Date: June 30th, 2011
Publisher: Chengelara Press
Pages: 306
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Author

Rating: ★★★★

Janir had the misfortune of being born with one of the hated Argetallams for a father. But unlike other Argetallam children, she was mostly granted a normal childhood, away from the rest of her family. It looked as if she would live a relatively normal life as the foster-daughter of a powerful lord. Until one critical day Janir’s powers awakened and she became entangled in a young enchanter’s quest for a long-lost treasure called the Key of Amatahns...

I really enjoyed this book. It was the fantasy that I was looking for when I started it, but as with most Fantasy books I read I did have a lot of moments where I felt things were a little slow. I enjoy Fantasy quite a lot though, so it wasn't to big of an issue for me. Elisabeth is one of the youngest author that I have read a book by though, and I think she did an amazing job writing it. Just reading it, I would of never imagined she was such a young writer without having actually known before hand.

The story is pretty stunning, she has fantastic world building. And was able to make the book truly feel like this epic adventure, and not just a mediocre fantasy. Being introduced to all the monsters, magic and other awesome things you will come across in this book was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the story though, even though there were a few pacing issues. I think she did a great job trying to make it all feel really fluid, and for the most part I would say she was able to accomplish that.

The characters were another amazingly strong feature of the book. When you're dealing with Fantasy characters I feel like you tend to look for a deeper level of character building that you don't really see in other genres. And with that said, I feel like it is extremely difficult for authors to pull off amazing characters within Fantasy books. While I won't go as far as saying these characters were amazing, I would have to say that they were extremely good and very well developed. And also, as with most Fantasy books the character count can sometimes get a little overwhelming. While there is a lot of people that Janir comes across throughout the story, I felt like Elisabeth did a great job at holding back the reigns on the character count.

In the end, I felt like this was an excellent book overall. I had very few issues with it, and the ones I did always tend to bug me when it comes to Fantasy. But it's a genre I love, and will never stop reading. Elisabeth really did a wonderful job writing this book, and I love how it all came to a close leading into the second book which I hope to read soon.

If you enjoy Fantasy, then I would highly suggest checking this book out. Even if you don't, I think you might surprise yourself if you were to give the book a chance. I hope you all enjoyed this review though, and I hope you'll check out this awesome book whenever you get a chance.

Thanks to Elisabeth for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: James Patterson

One last chance...
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.
Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming.

I am sad that this series is over. After having read all of them in a period of two months, I really became attached to this series. Easily one of the best series I have read, even while being disappointed with some things along the way. James really goes all out with Nevermore, as I was hoping he would seeing as it's the finale. I was hoping for that extremely epic conclusion that does justice for the rest of the series and James truly delivered.

I'm going to try my best to keep this review spoiler free (As far as the first 7 books go) I will not spoil anything from this book. Just want to make sure it's a review that you can read, and get interested in the series if you haven't started it. The story takes off in an epic way though, I wasn't expecting things to pick back up as quickly as they did, even with it being the conclusion of the series. You will find yourself questions a lot of the assumptions you have made throughout the series when you read Nevermore. I can't even begin to explain how many times something I thought was settled turned into something completely different that I wasn't expecting at all.

You have all of the same characters, the main focus of the book is just trying to wrap up the story for the characters that we have been with all along. So I am really glad James didn't decide to add a lot of new characters, it would of made things so confusing and really would of took away from the story. I was really surprised how things played out for certain characters though, especially Max, Fang, Angel, Jeb and Ari. There were a few characters that did some things that really shocked me, and I really couldn't wrap my head around why one character in particular wanted to do something very crazy, even though he thought he would be doing the right thing. You will be able to find out about all the tough decisions that have to be made by the characters as things come to a close once you read the book though, I think you all will be just as surprised as I was with some of the things that happen.

The ending was amazing, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I am so glad James did it the way he did. I really don't want to give to much away, but I really do think you all will think the ending to this epic series fits the story very nicely. Even though certain aspects of it had me wanting to scream, not because it was bad but just because I was shocked with how things finally played out.

If you have seen my reviews of the rest of the series, you will know I have had my issues with it. But in the end the awesome that is Maximum Ride triumphs, this is seriously one of the best series I have ever read. And I have really enjoyed the experience of it. If you haven't read the books, I highly suggest going out and doing so. The connection you will form with these books is amazing, and will make for one of the most enjoyable reading experiences you can have. I really hope you all will check out these books though if you haven't and if you have read and finished the series I would love to hear what you thought about it.

I could go on and on about Nevermore and the rest of the series though, but I really hope you all have enjoyed my reviews of the series. It was an absolute pleasure to read the books, it's sad that it has came to an end. But the story ended on an epic note, so I am happy. Hope you all will be to.

Thanks to Little Brown for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.




For Review:

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore - Thank you to Harper

The Power Of Six by Pittacus Lore - Thank you to Harper

The Rise Of Nine by Pittacus Lore - Thank you to Harper

Butterfly Weeds by Laura Miller - Thank you to Laura

Nevermore by James Patterson - Thank you to Little Brown


What did you get this week?

Author: Valerie Zambito
Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 204
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Author

Rating: ★★★★★

When Fallon Angell died at the age of sixteen, her life changed forever.

The hallowed world of Emperica is everything she had ever hoped for as a mortal—immeasurable beauty, unconditional love and light. But, with affection for humankind still burning within her, she joins the Knight Caste to train as an angel warrior. As a Knight, she will give up her wings and return to the place that killed her to use her unique powers to search out and destroy the evil Kjin that roam the earth. As a Knight, she will stop at nothing to protect the mortals in her care.
The elders warn her that the path she chose will be a solitary one. That she will not have the same bond with humans as she once did. But, as far as she knows, the elders had never met Kade Royce.

When her duties place her in the path of this handsome former cop, emotions buried long ago rise to the surface and she is powerless to ignore the depth of her feelings for this young man. She knows instinctively that she has found what most people search their entire lives for.

Ignoring the risks, she invites him into her world of danger, but soon their lives collide with explosive consequence. As a result, Fallon realizes with heartbreaking despair that she can no longer hide from the painful truth. In order for Kade to live, she must destroy him.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Was such a change of pace from some of the previous books I have been reading. Valerie really did an amazing job writing this. I was hoping for something epic, after having read the description and you really do end up getting a really epic story. I was actually really surprised just how exciting and action pact it turned out to be.

The story was insane, it start's off with the murder of Fallon and her family. And this is where the story takes a really strange and interesting turn. I'm not going to go into a massive about of detail, because this story is very spoiler heavy and I don't want to ruin anything for potential readers. I will say that if you want an intense story that will take you for an amazing action packed ride then this is a perfect book for you. Once Fallon leaves Emperica to head back to earth as a Knight, you better strap yourself in for the ride.

Fallon and Kade were great characters, they were both really easy to connect to and you could easily find yourself really get caught up with what was going on between them. They are far from the only characters in this book though, and there are some pretty evil characters. Marc Ellis being the prime one. I can't even begin to explain to you how evil this guy is. I think Valerie did an amazing job crafting her characters though, they were all enjoyable in their own unique way.

The ending was just as good as the rest of the book, especially with the epilogue. It leave you with a very small amount of information about a character that will be the focus of the next book in the series and I thought that was really cool. All in all, Valerie did a great job with this book. There were a few moments I did get a little bored, but things quickly picked back up and got back to all the action.

If you think that this book sounds like something you'd enjoy. I would highly suggest that you pick it up. It's not a very long book at all, so if you're looking for a very quick and exciting book to read this is one book you should really give a shot.

Thank you to Valerie for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Flynn Meaney
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 247
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★

Where have all the boys gone?
Down-to-earth Kelly is always the friend and never the girlfriend. But as her junior year of high school starts, Kelly is determined to finally reveal her true feelings for her long-time crush and good friend Hunter - that is, until the Boy Recession hits.
Over the past summer, an overwhelming number of male students have left Kelly and Hunter's small high school class. Some were sent to private school and others moved away. Whatever the case, the sudden population shift has left the already small Julius P. Heil High in desperate shape. The football coach is recruiting chess champs for his team, the principal's importing male exchange students to balance out school dances,and Hunter is about to become an unexpected heartthrob.
Content with his role as the guitar-strumming, class-skipping slacker, Hunter is unprepared to be the center of attention. Desperate coaches are recruiting him for sports teams, and the drama teacher casts him in the lead role of the school musical. Even the Spandexers, powerful popular girls in tight pants, are noticing Hunter in a new light - with a little work, he could have potential. He might even be boyfriend material...
In order to stand out from the crowd and win Hunter's heart, Kelly needs a "stimulus package" in the form of cougar lessons from a senior girl who dates hot freshman boys and advice on the male mind from her Cosmo-addicted best friend, Aviva. As if dating wasn't hard enough without a four-to-one ratio!

This book was really cute in principal, but I ended up finding myself looking for more. Flynn did a great job with the book in general, it was fun to read but I didn't really feel as if there was any connection to the characters. I guess the easiest way to explain it, would be that while it was a cute and fun book it doesn't really leave much of a lasting impression. With that said, my rating leans more towards four stars (3 1/2) I just couldn't warrant a full four stars.

The story was good, but nothing amazing. Was a book about kids in high school that included a lot of relationship/friendship and other kinds of drama you'd expect to see in a high school setting. It's not the most unique story in the world, but I do feel like Flynn did a pretty good job crafting it. I feel like she balanced everything pretty nicely, which kept me interested. And I really loved the alternating point of views between Kelly and Hunter. Again, I just really wish there would of been something that made it more of a memorable read.

The characters felt so generic to me, they just seemed like the cliche high school teenager that you would expect to see. I just didn't really see any flare from the characters, not even Hunter or Kelly and that really disappointed me. And then you had characters like Diva that were just outright annoying. There are a few characters that were somewhat more enjoyable than the rest, but like I had said none of them really had the flare and they weren't really characters I felt like I could connect with.

The ending of the book was pretty decent to be honest, but again I felt like it kind of bordered being cliche considering everything that was going on. I do feel like it was a pretty solid ending for the story though and that Flynn did a good job trying to close up the story in a way that made it enjoyable. I just can't get away from the thought that I wish the book would of been a little more memorable.

The Boy Recession isn't a bad book, it was just lacking in some departments. At least in my opinion. All in all,  I do feel like this book is worth giving a chance. While it wasn't a book that was very memorable for me, I still thought it was a fun and light read. So if it's something you think you'd be interested in then I say go for it.

Thank you to Little Brown for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Jennifer Brown
Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 368
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Kendra has always felt overshadowed by her older brother, Grayson, whose OCD forces him to live a life of carefully coordinated routines. The only way Kendra can stand out next to Grayson is to be perfect, and she has perfection down to an art -- until a cheating scandal threatens her flawless reputation.


Behind the wheel of her car, with Grayson asleep beside her, Kendra decides to drive away from it all -- with enough distance, maybe she'll be able to figure everything out. But eventually, Kendra must stop running and come to terms with herself, her brother, and her past.


With undeniable grace and humor, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown explores OCD, the pressure for perfection, and the emotional highs and lows of a complex sibling relationship.

Perfect Escape was just the book that I needed to break me out of the little slump I was having. I've not read any of other of Jennifer's books, but she did such an amazing job writing Perfect Escape. It's so real, and it really draws you in and you form such a deep connection with the characters. I was actually really surprised with how amazing it turned out to be.

The story is so heartwarming, while being very simple. Kendra and Grayson take a trip to California, for multiple reasons. One of which being that Kendra wants to try and help Grayson break free from his overwhelming OCD and anxiety problems. All of this was a spur of the moment decision, and you can probably imagine what their parents think of this decision. There is also someone from Kendra's past now living in California and there are several reasons that Kendra wants to confront her, but I won't go into anymore detail there. It's such a touching story though, and it's great to see a story based around a sibling relationship. You don't really see that very often in YA so it made for an enjoyable reading experience.

Kendra and Grayson were amazing. They couldn't be more different though, but I thought it was so awesome how Kendra really wanted to help her brother (Grayson) break away from everything. They are both such wonderful characters, and I am positive that you will find yourself easily becoming attached to them. Rena is another great character, they meet her on their trip to California but they share some really great moments together throughout the book. And then you also have Bo, which is Rena's baby. The final character I want to talk about is Zoe, she is the one I referred to above that lives in California. As far as Zoe goes, things don't really get interesting towards the end. But I am not going to go into a lot of detail about her as I don't want to spoil anything.

The ending was really great, and equally as touching as the rest of the book. It was great to see how things turned out for Kendra and Grayson and seeing how everything they went through lead to such a solid and meaningful ending. Jennifer did such a great job with this book, and was really able to wrap it all up in a beautiful way.

I would highly recommend reading Perfect Escape whenever you get a chance, I really feel like it is one of those books that everyone can enjoy. After reading this, I am going to have to go and read Jennifer's other books. Her writing is fantastic, and Perfect Escape is a prime example of just how amazing it is. I really hope you all will read this book whenever you get the chance to though.

Thank you to Little Brown for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

I am finally back to doing Top Ten Tuesday posts. I took a break for quite awhile just to focus on getting more reviews and other things posted,  but after asking people in my One Year Blogoversary Post what they would like to see more of in my second year of blogging  there were several people that mentioned Meme's. So I figured I would bring them back since I do enjoy doing them, just didn't want them to clutter my blog.


1. Anna and St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins): There is just something about this couple that I love, and they are probably the most enjoyable couple that I have read about in YA. I could easily see their relationship being able to transition into the real world.


2. Lola and Cricket (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins): I couldn’t help but make my top to picks the couples from Stephanie’s books. They are just really cute, and I think they could very easily make their relationships work in the real world.


3. Echo and Noah (Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry): I just recently read this book, but Echo and Noah were an adorable couple. They had both been through so much, and it was nice seeing how they were able to support each other and make each other happier.


4. Macy and Wes (The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen): The Truth About Forever was one of the first YA romance books that I read after having it recommended to me by my friend Kelsey. I just couldn’t complete this list without adding this couple. They were so cute together, and are really a couple you could see working out in the real world.


5. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling): I will admit that when I first read these books all those years ago, I really liked the idea of Harry and Hermione. But once new books in the series kept coming out and you were introduced to the idea of Harry and Ginny, they really grew on me quite quickly. I think it was a nice outcome in the end, and I do feel like it probably would have been the same outcome if all of it was played out in real life.


6. Annabel and Owen (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen): This is another really adorable couple. I honestly don’t think I have been able to find anything wrong with the couples in Sarah’s books. Granted I have only read two, but still both couples have been really enjoyable. And I can easily see Annabel and Owen making it in the real world as a couple.


7. Katniss & Peeta (Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins): There is just something about Katniss and Peeta that really makes me think they could work out in the real world. They just really seem to have that silent trust and understanding of each other, it’s really hard to explain.


8. Brittany and Alex (Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles): I really liked Brittany and Alex, you have two people from completely different sides of the tracks and it was great seeing how they came together. I do think that it is highly plausible that their relationship could work in the real world.


9. Meghan and Ash (The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa): I just really liked these two.. I could see this working out though if only for the reason that they both wanted to do something that upset their parents because they had feelings for each other. If you look past all the fantasy and just see them as two normal human beings, I could see it working out.


10. Belly and Jeremiah/Conrad (Summer Series by Jenny Han): I had to include both Jeremiah and Conrad here to keep away from spoilers, since the one she ends up with is a huge spoiler at the end of the last book. But I really liked who she ended up with, even though I am not a huge fan of triangles I really found myself enjoying these characters. I could see Belly and the guy she ended up with working out in the real world pretty easily.

Technical writer by day, fiction writer by night, Patty mines her day job for ideas to use in her novels. Her debut YA "Send" was born after a manager suggested she research social networks. Patty adores chocolate, her boys, and books, though not necessarily in that order. (Image/About the author from Goodreads.)

Stay!

· Social networking – My social activities not only planted the seed for a book idea, but connected me to many brilliant people – authors, agents, publishers, editors, celebrities, moms, PEOPLE. That’s the key – it exposed me to different opinions, different belief systems, different lifestyles and opened my mind in the process.

· Flat Screen TVs – Oh, how much do I love being able to hang a TV on a wall?

· The surge in popularity of YA fiction – Rowling, Meyer, Collins – It warms my heart to see adults reading young adult fiction and I hope my own book will add to the ranks.

· GPS – For someone like me who gets lost in a bathtub, the GPS is the most significant technological advancement of my lifetime.

· On Demand, HBO2Go, and DVR -- I work a nine or ten hour day and then come home and write novels. There is no time for TV. That’s why these VCR-less wonders that let me watch what I want when I want are the BEST.

· eReaders -- Writers love books. My eReader lets me carry hundreds with me at all times. Plus, it’s a lot easier to turn pages on an eReader when you’re pedaling an elliptical machine than a real book. That encourages me to actually go to the gym.



Go!

· Pants that expose boxers, pants with the crotch down by your knees, baggy pants that hang off your body instead of emphasizing it. I don’t know anybody who finds this sexy so stop. Just stop. Please. I’m begging.

· Logos on butts – Juicy? Pink? Ladies, guys don’t need another reason to stare at your butt. Really.

· Fake reality TV shows – please, Dear God, MAKE IT STOP.

· Teens who sit low in their cars so that it looks like the car is driving itself as they go by.

· Text slang in spoken conversation.

· Tebowing – I get that you feel blessed and that’s great. But put it in perspective. I find it kind of insulting that God answered your prayers to score that extra point in a game but ignored the prayers of millions of other people praying for things like cures for terminal illnesses, a place to live or a meal to eat.


What do you think? What fads are you crazy about? What fads are on your Can’t Wait Until They’re Gone list?




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Author: Patty Blount
Release Date: August 1st, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 291
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★

To keep his secrets, all he has to do is listen to the voice in his head and just walk away...
On his first day at his new high school, Dan stops a bully from beating up a kid half his size. He didn't want to get involved. All he wants out of his senior year is to fly under the radar. But Dan knows what it's like to be terrorized by a bully-he used to be one. Now the whole school thinks he's some kind of hero, except Julie Murphy, the prettiest girl on campus. She looks at him like she knows he has a secret. Like she knows his name isn't really Daniel.

I wasn't quite as impressed with Send as I thought I would have been. It's not that it's a bad book, it was just so difficult for me to get into. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for such a deep book. There was just nothing that stood out to me and really made me enjoy the book like I had hoped would happen.

Patty tackles a very prominent topic in today's society, especially among teenagers. But I think the entire message goes much deeper than that. It's pretty obvious what this story is about, just by the title. But it's the way it is handled by Patty that makes it into such an interesting way to get the attention of anyone that could be affected by something like this. Now, as I mentioned above. This book is in no way bad, the story is something I feel that should be read and discussed because things like this do happen. Not just in fictional worlds but in your local schools too. And I think having it looked at in a book format targeted towards teens is a great way of trying to break through it.

I feel like the characters could be relateable for some people, but I just wasn't able to. I know Dan was only 13 when he committed his offense but I just never really found myself being able to feel completely sorry for him. I do think he changed throughout the story, and he did go through so much. I did feel a little sorry for him at times, but then you're reminded of everything he has done in his past and the lines kind of blur. I also really disliked "Kenny" who is Daniels 13 year old self inside his head that makes a lot of "Comments" throughout the story.. I just found that aspect of the story to be more annoying than enjoyable.

I was just really hoping for more I guess. While I think people can enjoy this book and that it does have a strong message, it just didn't really impress me as much as I was hoping it would. I just can't see myself giving this book more than three stars.. I don't know what I would of changed, if anything. I know I didn't care for the whole inside voice thing, and I would of really liked the characters to have more of a lasting impression, even Daniel. But that just didn't happen for me.

Send does have a good message though, and I do think there are people out there that can enjoy this book. I guess it all depends on what you enjoy. I usually enjoy books like this, but there was just something missing for me. But for you, it might all be there whenever you read it. So this one is a toss up for me, if it sounds like something you would enjoy reading then by all means go for it. It's a tough subject matter and Patty doesn't cut any corners when discussing it through her story. Just wish some things were a little different, could of been a much more enjoyable book in my opinion without taking away from the seriousness of the topics.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.


I only got a couple books this week, but I couldn't pass up the cute photo with my dog Leila, I adopted her Friday.



For Review:

Hocus Pocus Hotel by Michael Dahl - Thank you to Media Masters Publicity.

Troll Hunters by Michael Dahl - Thank you to Media Masters Publicity.



What did you get this week?


Also, make sure to enter the giveaways I currently have up if you haven't yet.

One Year Blogoversary Giveaway: http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/08/justins-book-blog-turns-one.html (US/CAN)

Authors Are Rockstars Tour Giveaway: http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/08/authors-are-rockstars-tour-rachel-cohn.html (US Only)

About Rachel:

Rachel Cohn is a young adult fiction author. Her first book, Gingerbread, was published in 2002. Since then she has gone on to write many other successful YA and children's books, and has collaborated on three books with the author David Levithan.

10. Chocolate.

I ate a lot of chocolate while writing Beta, and Elysia, the protagonist narrator who is a soulless clone who is supposed to have no sense of taste, discovered she seemed to be able to taste choocolate--and she LOVED it. Coincidence? I think not.

9. Occupy

I started writing Beta before the Occupy protest movement really heated up, but I must have had the same issues on my mind. Beta is very much about inequality of wealth and resources.


8. Seychelles

Paradise doesn't just write itself, folks. I needed pictures to help me visualize the atmosphere I was trying to convey, so these remote East African islands did the trick. (Also where Prince William and Kate

Middleton honeymooned. Great minds obviously think alike.) Need to see for yourself? http://bit.ly/PRSQIZ You're welcome.

7. Athletes

A few key characters in Beta are competitive athletes, which is a culture that fascinates me, especially the commitment and training required from a very young age. Visually, I took inspiration from surfer Laird Hamilton and Chinese diver Fu Mingxia, in particular.


6. Animal rights

Elysia's family in Beta often call her "pet" and for a reason, because I myself have pets (2 cats, who may or may not get a dog added to their lives later this year, heh heh don't tell them) and I often wonder, if they could speak, what would they have to say to me about how they're treated? Would they choose their lives of cushy comfort or rather be free in the wild? (And would they be like, Hey Human, we don't want to share our home with Dogs, please!?)

5. Star Trek

Ok, now you know. I am a total closet Trek geek, both "classic" Trek (as the original series is called) and TNG (The Next Generation). I loved watching the Federation folks visiting distant worlds and ideas, yet the characters' struggles were very present and timeless at the same time. I definitely had the android character Data from TNG in mind as I explored what Elysia--a soulless clone--was meant to understand from her programming, versus what she wanted to understand: human emotion and feeling rather than simply the factual data her chip supplies her.