Review: First Date

read on NetGalley

The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.

The lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show "for such a time as this."

This book has an adorable premise, but frankly, didn't live up to my expectations. It seemed like such a cute idea, though not necessarily original (reminding me of American Idol, beauty pageants, and Meg Cabot's All-American Girl). But I was willing to give it a shot. I read the whole thing in about four hours. The language was so simplistic, almost like it was written for a second-grader to read. I literally flew through the book. But some of the content was about the contestants back-stabbing each other, and the religious content seemed too complex for the younger reading level. I'm really not sure for which level this book is actually intended. Because nothing romantic happened at all, other thank a few casual glances and a smile every now and then. 

I was also annoyed with the religious references. I'm Catholic, and I go to church, and I believe in God, but every other page referenced Addy thinking about God's plan, and how she wasn't sure if He was right. This would have been fine, except I was thrown into her life. This could work, but I had no idea she was Christian up until the second page when she started questioning her faith and everything happened at once. I would have liked a little lead-in explaining this. I also thought her parents' backstory was highly unnecessary. While I understand it was supposed to be a big factor in Addy's religious beliefs and a tear-jearker for the story, it was so abrupt and very fake-y. I did not like how unreal the whole thing seemed. I also didn't understand why Addy was afraid to tell her friend on the show that she was a Christian. Sure, some religions might not get along, but in America, today, in this modern world, it's a rare chance that someone will isolate you for being a Christian. Very VERY unlikely. I was just really annoyed that she thought telling her friend was such a big deal, when it really didn't need to be. 

This could have been a really cute preteen book, but in my opinion, didn't quite make it. It seemed like I was reading a first draft instead of a ready-to-be-published novel.

Blog Tour: Fracture

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine 

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? 

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening? 


I was very excited to hear that I would be reviewing this for the blog tour today in anticipation for the release of this book, and I started reading it as soon as I got it. Despite many mixed reviews, I give Fracture a huge thumbs-up. It's hard to get me hooked on a book from the beginning, but this book managed to do just that. It was so fast-paced from the first page that it literally grabs the reader and pulls him into the story, instead of gradually easing. I loved the simplicity of their lives before Delaney got stuck in the lake: they were average high school teens. Nothing super crazy, which was a nice change from some of my recent YA reads. 


I had a hard time with Delaney's male interests though. I think the plot would have been more interesting had all three males been riveting and wonderful men. However, I only really liked one. In fact, I hated the other two, which didn't make it difficult or fun for me as a reader in that aspect. However, I did like the introduction of Troy and the slight supernatural "gift" he and Delaney shared. This turned the story in a completely different direction than I was expecting. However, I still didn't think he was a likeable character at all. I was particularly bothered by his introduction to Delaney at the beginning of the book — he stalked her and stared at her until she asked him his name. I just thought this was a bit unnecessary. And the other male interest should have just not been there. But I see the reason after the end of the book.


Decker is Delaney's best friend, who, coincidentally, I loved. It was interesting seeing both his and Delaney's thoughts and feelings of guilt. Decker pulled her out of the lake, but not until 11 minutes had passed. In his defense, he was held back by friends, but he still felt guilty for not saving her sooner. I really loved the parallels between their stories and their different sides. There were a few characters I didn't really understand why they were even there (Tara, e.g.), but that was a minor thing I got past pretty quickly. 


The writing was very good, for the most part. It was simple, yet got the story moving and flowing well. The writing seemed to improve as the story went on, becoming more descriptive and metaphorical, which really worked with the story line in a good way. This was a very worthwhile read for me, and though I didn't like a few things about it, it was good overall and I can't wait to see what Megan Miranda has in store next!

Review and Blog Tour: Switched by Amanda Hocking

So the new thing is self-publishing books for e-readers, and that's just what Amanda Hocking did. She got noticed — a lot — and now her Trylle series is coming out in print. The first appears on shelves on January 24, and I've got a review of it below!

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

So basically (I promise this isn't a spoiler, it appears in about the second chapter of the book, but if you don't want any information, then skip this part) at the beginning, Wendy meets Finn. Wendy has been moved to a bunch of different schools because she's a "trouble child," and gets in fights and is expelled — a lot. She lives with her aunt Maggie and her brother Matt, who both love her dearly and move around with her. At the most recent school, Wendy notices this creepy kid named Finn oddly staring at her, so she confronts him. And basically two days later (this is the not-so-spoiler part of the book, but if you really don't want to know, stop reading now!), she finds out she's a troll. Yeah, weird, I know. She doesn't believe it at first, naturally, but soon finds herself in Finn's world, full of trolls, mansklig, and plenty of other strange-sounding words and people. This is when the story really begins. From here, we follow Wendy's tale of trying to fit in with the world, as she learns a big surprise about her real family (you know, the troll one) and her heritage. 

I am so excited to read the second book of this series. I was engrossed in this world, even though it was a little weird for me at the beginning. Yes, I, probably like everyone else, thought, trolls? They're short, and ugly, and gross, and hairy, and this is WEIRD. But Hocking makes up for that, and through Finn, explains the other side of the story, though I still think the fact that they're trolls is extremely weird. 

Surprisingly, not too much action actually takes place in this book. It's mostly description of Wendy's new world and the setup for what's to come in the next two books. But I wasn't even bored. Hocking did an excellent job of providing description and background throughout the book, instead of just cramming it all in the first couple of pages and moving on. The story feels very well-thought out, and I could tell a lot of work went into writing and understanding this created world. I very much enjoyed that, because I wasn't confused at all when reading it. The characters were also extremely well-developed — another aspect I was very pleased with. At first, when Finn just popped into Wendy's life, I was a little leaning towards the annoyed side (you know, in a YA book, boy meets girl and 6 minutes later, they're madly in love connected by a strong feeling they have). But after the whole Trylle explanation, it makes more sense why he was stalking her, and after that, I thought the characters were described rather nicely. 

Towards the end, there was a bit of action that happened, though I can't really say much because that's a huge spoiler. But even this more exciting bit at the end was very well-written, though the very ending was a little predictable. Still, this isn't even a bad thing, because it will make for an excellent start to the second book. Again, I cannot wait to read it. 

And now, I've seen two covers: want to comment below and tell me which one you like better? (personally, I like the red one, despite my tendencies to hate people on the covers of books!)

Here's the second cover (the first is back up top)

And actually I just found a third, so for good measure here's that one:

I kind of like this last one!

Review: Uncommon Criminals

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she's simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That's why Kat isn't surprised when she's asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn't been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat's world, history almost always repeats itself. But it's the third problem that make Kat's crew the most nervous, and that is... the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she's not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Ally Carter wowed me again. I sped through this book in less than 48 hours. I was absolutely blown away about midway through the book. I cannot say anything, really, because it would give away the awesome-ness that was this plot. It was just so unpredictable. Every time I turned the page, I encountered a new problem I had not seen coming. And Katarina, as always, is a fabulous character. I love that she is stubborn and doesn't always see the obvious, even though that makes me want to smack her. However, that is the brilliancy of her. And I love her crew (especially Hale) and the fact that they are all just as cunning and witty as Katarina.

Of course, I did have a teeny problem. All of these heists are incredibly well-thought, and the reality, though slim, is pretty good. The books have a very realistic quality about them, which is what I like so much. However, a curse? Really? I was so upset to read that in the premise. But, the book actually didn't mention the curse enough to be considered the biggest problem for Kat and her crew. In fact, I was really confused after I finished the book because the curse was only mentioned casually when someone tripped on the sidewalk. So that was fine, really, because I didn't like the premise of the curse anyway. But I was confused at why it was presumed to be the biggest problem for them.

There's really not much more to say, other than this was an awesome read. I really really enjoyed it, and it was a lovely one to read over the holidays, as I could zip through it quickly and get lost in it, and I was able to avoid doing laundry for a day or so. Really highly recommended!

Review: The Beginning of After

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST FOR AFTERTASTE HERE!!!

Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is DAvid, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgement. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss — a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways. 


I was really excited to read this one, but after the fact I think I didn't know what to expect. Meaning, I had an idea of what I wanted the book to be, but it turned out completely different. And in a good way. I've read a lot of reviews of this one, and some kind of make me mad. This isn't really a grief story in any way, other than the fact that Laurel loses her family. It is about her life continuing, and the fact that life doesn't stop, no matter what happens. It says so right in the title. This is what happens after. And I think that's where people got confused. They wanted it to be a grief story, just like I did. But it was such a well-written after-the-fact story.

I loved Laurel and David, cliche as it is to do a good-girl, bad-boy premise. But they were both such lovely characters, developed really well. They also had good dialogue back and forth, and I loved that a dog kept the two together even though they were far apart at times. I hated Joe. Joe was a guy Laurel had liked at school, and he finally asked her out to prom. However, I felt the whole time he had asked her out of pity, and then he didn't put any effort forth in continuing a relationship. He only did things when drunk or when Laurel acted first (anything at all, not just romantic-y stuff. texting. calling. everything. he drove me nuts. man up!). And I really didn't like Laurel's best friend, either, though I understand her purpose and her hidden storyline.
One thing that really drove me crazy (alert to ALL AUTHORS) was the texting. PEOPLE DON'T REALLY TEXT IN COMPLETE ABBREVIATIONS. I use full sentences and punctuation. And I didn't know what half of the words were in their texts. And honestly, they were unnecessary. Description could have done the job better. They were a huge disruption to the story and frankly, I hated them. And I hate to see texts in books anyway. It's just annoying.

Moving on. I loved the progression of this book. It didn't dwell on too much of one particular time period, but it focused when it needed to. I never got tired of reading description and happenings in the narration. It was all done very well. I also loved the animal focus in this book, giving Laurel a new purpose and something to focus on. This was a very real and believable aspect because this could actually happen. Laurel's Nana didn't really like the whole animal thing (not sure why...), but I did and thought it added great depth to the overall effect of the story.

Overall, it was a pretty good one, once people get it out of their heads that this is a grief story. Remember, it's a story about life moving on no matter what, and how Laurel manages the "after."

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST FOR AFTERTASTE HERE!!!

FREE BOOK!

That's right! It's time for another one! You can have a chance to win your very own copy of Aftertaste by Meredith Mileti! You can read the synopsis from Goodreads down below. 

You will have until DECEMBER 20 to enter this contest, just use the form below. Sorry international folks, it's for US residents only. If you have someone to mail it to with a US address, that's fine! I just can't afford to ship internationally right now!

Also, you must be a follower to enter!! It doesn't matter new or old, but you need to follow!

Thanks! And tell all your friends! This is a fantastic book!

Mira Rinaldi lives life at a rolling boil. Co-owner of Grappa, a chic New York City trattoria, she has an enviable apartment, a brand-new baby, and a frenzied schedule befitting her success. Everything changes the night she catches her husband, Jake, "wielding his whisk" with Grappa's new waitress. Mira's fiery response earns her a court-ordered stint in anger management and the beginning of legal and personal predicaments as she battles to save her restaurant and pick up the pieces of her life. Mira falls back on family and friends in Pittsburgh as she struggles to find a recipe for happiness. But the heat is really on when some surprising developments in New York present her with a high stakes opportunity to win back what she thought she had lost forever. For Mira, cooking isn't just about delicious flavours and textures, but about the pleasure found in filling others' needs. And the time has come to decide where her own fulfilment lies - even if the answers are unexpected.

In My Mailbox (9)

It's that time again! These are all the books I've received in the past while, since I kind of post these whenever I can. As always, IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. And all the books will be linked to Goodreads.

For Review

1. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

2. Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick

3. Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King

4. Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

5. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

6. Rush by Jeremy Iverson

7. Forbidden by Syrie James

8. The Sisters by Nancy Jensen

9. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

10. Tankborn by Karen Sandler

From Trading:

1. Possessions by Nancy Holder

Bought (from Goodwill for 25 cents each!):

1. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

2. The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY SWAPPING BOOKS PAGE!