Review: Meant to Be

Author: Lauren Morrill
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Source: Library
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Summary: Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

My Favorite Lines:

“There's a difference between preferring books to parties and preferring sixteen cats to seeing the light of day.” 

“Point is, maybe some people wouldn't want to be around me all day, but there are people out there who would. And they're smart and funny. And they like some of the same things I like and hate some of the things I hate, but they also introduce me to all kinds of new things. That's as close to 'meant to be' as I can imagine.” 

Why I Loved It:  I love London.  And books set in London.  Ooo and love in London.  All of the above are found in the book called Meant to Be.. see above * ;) *

Scarily, Julia reminded me of myself.  Her nickname was Book Licker.  I never had anything that bad for a nickname, but I had my share in school.  Julia also has some ideas of love, normally found in books.  It happens I suppose.  I had the same problem.  The fact that we are so similar is probably why she drove me nuts.  Its one of those books where the reader knows a lot more about what's going than Julia does.  It drives you nuts, but it makes the end much sweeter.  And there was one particular twist near the end that I was not expecting at all.

I loved the Beatles influence in the book and put up with the Shakespeare * I am not a big fan of ol' Bill*.  The cover is beautiful... BEAUTIFUL.  I didn't want to change what I was reading because just the cover made my blog look better.  I want a blown up poster size for my room.

All in all, I devoured the book in about a day.  Any cliche was forgotten in the midst of the sweet and at times sour story filled with laughs and grunts of frustration with plenty of splashes of "awww" moments.  The book leaves you feeling happy and wanting desperately to go to London * so beware of that. *

Who Should Read It:  It's a great contemporary read.  The main character is a bit judgmental at times, so if that has a tendency to drive you crazy you might want to stay away.  I think people who love the idea of a contemporary set in London should pick it up.

        

Review: Don't You Wish

Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Source: NetGalley
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Summary:
When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.  


In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.
So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?
The choice isn't as simple as you think.

My Favorite Line: 

“Money doesn't make you happy," Mom insists, whipping carrots and lettuce out of the cart. "Money doesn't make you laugh when you're lonely, or make you full of contentment on Christmas morning.”

Why I Loved It:  I had no idea how much I would really like this book.  The idea has been used a great deal.  Going to an parallel universe where you have everything is not exactly a new idea, but I thought Ms. St. Claire did an incredible job.  

My love for the book revolves around one particular part: Charlie. I have many weaknesses when it comes to cute boys.  But Charlie has all of my weaknesses wrapped up within him.  He is this incredibly smart, nerdish type who has a love beyond all things for family.  And he wears a fedora.  I fell head over heels for him during the book.  

Don't think that all there is to this book is an incredibly cute boy named Charlie.  There really is a lot more than that!  The plot is quite addicting the more you get into the book.  Seeing how much Annie comes out in Ayla and how that turns so many heads was crazy.  Constantly, Annie can see just how good her life is even in the midst of the hard stuff that life throws out.  

In the end, it's the same old idea that money can't buy happiness but you will enjoy the ride as Annie discovers it for herself.  And Charlie.  Yes Charlie.  You will definitely enjoy that ride!  

Who Should Read It:  Everyone!!  Seriously.  But definitely those people out there that love contemporary.  The book is going to surprise you.

       

Review: Flirting in Italian

Author: Lauren Henderson

Release Date: June 12

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336 

Source: NetGalley

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Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!

Why I Loved It:  I gave this book a pretty high rating on Goodreads, something I'm sure not everyone will do, mainly because the book was exactly what I needed.  It's a perfect summer book.  I have to say that the book was not at all what I was expecting.  I think I just thinking typical foreign, tourist love story kind of thing.  I was NOT expecting the main character to be British.

Violet is a strong quirky character that is pretty confident in herself and loyal to those she cares about.  Growing up in England, she feels that she is much different that her mother and her father's family.  One day she discovers her twin in a painting from many years back.  She does some research that leads her to a summer program in Italy so she can learn more about the girl in that painting.  That search leads her to an adventure with another British girl and two American girls.

As a group they bond over their dislike of the snobby Italian girl living in the house and their love of cute Italian boys *and there are plenty of cute ones*.  I really liked the way Ms. Henderson developed each of the girls personalities.  I really felt like I knew each of the girls when I was finished reading the book.

Now to the good part: Luca.  As always, there is a boy.  A delicious and gorgeous, slightly bad-boy-isque boy.  Violet falls head over heels for him, despite her best effort, and it seems he may reciprocate. Those kisses seem to say so.  I'm pretty sure I would recommend this book only on the swoony kissing scenes between Luca and Violet.  Very well written, in my opinion.

I also enjoyed the way the author described so much of Italy.  If there is anywhere in the world that I could go, it would be Italy.  I may be a pit biased then when I say that the background of the book is a huge part of why I loved the book.  So much of the description is beautiful (and here we may be talking about things other than the Italian countryside wink*wink*).  *Tells herself that Luca is a fictional boy* And moving on.

My only sad thing is that the ending left me feeling more unresolved than I would have liked.. and maybe a little creeped out.  But regardless, I loved the book.  And the cover.  The cover actually makes a little sense because there is a Vespa scene, and really?  Who doesn't love a good Vespa scene?

Who Should Read It:  I think anyone wanting a good, lighter summer read should pick this up.  People who are into contemporary fiction, romance, and a good mystery are more than likely going to like this.  Girls, got a thing for guys with accents?  Well this book is for you!

      

Review: Starters

Author: Lissa Price
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 
Series: Starters #1
Source: Net Galley
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Summary:  HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER 
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. 

My Favorite Line(s): Did Cinderella ever consider fessing up to the prince, that night she was enjoying herself in the fancy ball gown? Did she even think of telling him, oh, by the way, Prince, the coach isn’t mine, I’m really a filthy little barefoot servant on borrowed time? No. She took her moment. And then went quietly away after midnight.

He had the face of a floating astronaut who had lost his tether and had only one chance to grab a lifeline or forever drift away into endless black.  I knew that feeling, the sense of panic that stretched time, turning seconds into years, and the deep pain that came from being hurt by not one person but many, a gang of bullies that expanded into a neighborhood and then into a community, until you questioned the whole world.

Why I Loved It:  That ending killed me.  Seriously killed me.  I screamed at my Nook.  I couldn’t help it.  It was this loud resonating NOOOO.  My mom got a worried look on her face and told me that I really get too involved in my books.  Seriously though, there was no way to avoid getting totally involved in this futuristic post-war world that Lissa Price created.  When I went to sleep last night, I dreamed I was in Callie’s world.  It was a little scary.  I didn’t really want to be there, but it was SO intense that I didn’t want to leave either.

I felt that the world was really very creative, and Lissa Price was very inventive in the liberties she took with the time.  She undertook a fear that many people have about where the world will end up as technology improves and conflicts arise.  The world that she created could be easily believed to be a result (YIKES) of such “progress”.  I have to say that I prefer thinking of elderly people like my grandma.  You know, the smell of chocolate chip cookies and lotion.  Some of the elderly people in Starters were slightly creepy.  So she created a believable story, an intriguing world, and some characters that I could relate to.  Any problems?  Well I had one.

The main issue I had with the book is that through a lot of the story, Callie is separated from her brother.  In the very beginning of the book, Callie reveals how hard living on the streets is.  And yet through much of the book, I wanted to feel more of her worry.  If I had left my brother, my sick brother, in a place that was incredibly difficult to survive in, it would be constantly on my mind.  I kept waiting for it to keep coming up, but it didn’t.  Also I thought Michael deserved better. 

Why You Should Read It:  Despite that flaw in the make-up of a pretty fabulous book, I’d encourage everyone to read it.  It was a pretty phenomenal science fiction novel.  I read the book in two sittings because of two things: a) it’s not a hard read which is a plus and b) I didn’t want to pull myself away.  According to Goodreads, the book hits the shelves March 13^th.  I think it may already be out though.  So go buy it!  She is coming out with some books (sort of like Meg Cabot’s Princess diaries half books) before Enders comes out in December.