The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Book review #48
The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground. 

Boy was that a fun read! I've been dying to read this one after seeing the amazing trailer. I'm thrilled to say that it was even better than I though it would be. Realistic characters combined with a fun fresh plot  made this one enjoyable book. I learned a lot of great lessons and I have to say that I had a wonderful time learning them.

Madison and her boyfriend have a great relationship, it's safe to say things are going really well for them. Things even get better when Mason gets an article published in a popular magazine thanks to Madison. They both climb the social ladder which leads to a lot more attention to both of them, especially Mason though. With the blink of an eye Mason and the most popular girl in the school are found exchanging saliva. Poor Madison doesn't even get an explanation. After she goes to a spiritual center and learns about karma she decides to take matters into her hands...

Madison-Maddy- I LOVED her. She was hilarious, witty, and a lot like us average teens-well aside from her early on obsession with the most popular girl in school (kind of annoying if I say so myself). But overall I really connected with her. She was really fun to read about. Jade and Angie were great best friends. They were always there for each other no matter what. Oh and there was some romance involved. Maddy's love interest was really surprising, but wonderful. I simply adored it.

It was very entertaining to read about all the pranks the girls pulled. They were all clever. It kind of reminded me of the movie Mean Girls, which I loved. What was even better was how much each of the characters learned and developed from the Karma Club. You really learned that sometimes you have to let life do what it wants on its own. It's hard to not get a little inspired yourself.

The only thing I didn't really like about The Karma Club, which was mentioned by others was that you never found out the reason Mason cheated/dumped Maddy. You don't even get a little clue. They never even get a chance to talk it out. This irked me big time. 

Aside from that minor aspect, The Karma Club is made of pure awesomeness. The Karma Club is made up of plenty of humor, entertainment, a strong heroine, and of course the rules of Karma. I'm so grateful that I actually own a signed copy! As you can probably tell I definitely recommend reading The Karma Club.

*I received this copy from Goodreads first reads (:

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Book review #34
Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
You know, I always thought I told you everything, but there are some things I should have said but never did. I should have told you about the time I lost your new sunglasses. I know you really liked them. I should have apologized the time I ruined your brand-new skirt, the one with the beading. I should have apologized for a lot of stuff.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.

It's been seventy five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her, and she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone, and Amy doesn't want to talk about it. No one knew Julia like she did. No one gets what life is without her.

No one understands what it's like to know that it's all your fault.

Amy's shrink thinks she should keep a journal but instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia. As she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past holds its own secrets--and that the present deserves a chance. 

It's way after midnight and I'm trying to fall asleep. But I can't. Having just finished Love You Hate You Miss You less than five minutes ago, with dry tears on my cheeks, sleep is the last thing I can do. Love You Hate You Miss You is so powerful, raw, heartbreaking, and surprisingly funny. After reading a couple of light, fluffy books, this is just what I needed. I don't know how I'm feeling right now. One thing is for sure, I'm definitely blown away and almost speechless. Elizabeth Scott has amazed me once again.

The story begins with Amy coming straight out of Pinewood-a treatment center, where she had spent her summer. Julia, her best friend, had died sometime ago, but Amy obviously is still very affected. You don't discover the true story of how Julia died until the middle of the book. The book mainly  focuses on Amy's life after the accident, as well as flashbacks and memories of times before it happened. About half or more of the book is composed of letters written to Julia, about almost everything-memories, what's going on in the present, and true feelings. Amy has to deal with her parents who have changed significantly after the accident, her annoying shrink, and of course all of her schoolmates. Untimely Amy has to learn how to live, love, and smile again.

Amy is just an extraordinary person. I could never imagine being in her shoes. Without my best friend, my other half, my world would never be the same. In some ways I somewhat understand. Without someone important to you everything is just different. She felt so many different things, including guilt. Amy blames what happened on herself. Even though Julia wasn't alive in the book, I felt like I had known her all my life. She's one of those people everybody loves. She's not perfect at all, but she couldn't be a better friend with a bigger heart. I really liked how the parents played a different role than usual.  They were a totally in love couple, who weren't really planning on ever having kids. After the accident they transformed from non-caring, not even noticing that Amy is in the room, to extra-supportive and even somewhat strict.

What I couldn't really believe was that all of Amy's former friends shunned her and even made fun of her after the accident. Not that they were even real friends in the first place. Amy got stuck with Mel, Patrick, and former friend Carol for the rest of the year. A very different and unique group of people.  Patrick definitely stood out, he was mysterious and so different. He was practically the only human who actually understood.

The writing was so powerful and vivid. You would never imagine that a story about such a dark subject could be funny and sarcastic. The feelings were so touching and real. This book will think make you think...think hard. It made me feel so grateful for everything. I cried so much while reading this, I cried happy, sad, and angry tears along with Amy.

Amy and Julia, along with the whole book, I know I won't forget. I savored every page, not ever wanting it to end. I loved Elizabeth Scott's other books, but I personally think this one was her best. Love You Hate Miss You is a must read. I strongly recommended everyone to read this.

How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford

Book Review #19
How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from inside flap- I thought it was more fitting than the Goodreads description)

New to town, Bea is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. You know the type: very cheery, very friendly, very average. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Bot, a quiet observer who hasn't made a new friends since third grade. He's not a big fan of people in general...but he's willing to make an exception for her. Maybe.

Bea and Jonah are not going to have a friendship like other people have a friendship, where it's all based on gossip and parties and what everybody else thinks. Instead, their friendship comes from truth-bound conversations, shared secrets, daring stunts, and late-night calls to the same old-timer radio show. They help each other and hurt each other, push away and hold close. It's not a romance, exactly-but it's definitely love. And it means more to them than either once can ever really know....

Whoa, a few words to describe How To Say Goodbye In Robot would be strange, weird, wacky, and definitely not normal, but that's why I liked it so much. There may be few things that were normal in this book. I'm used to books with similar plots and storylines, so this was like taking a taste of a new exotic dish. Along with be different it was sweet, funny, brutally honest, and warm. I wasn't really sure what to expect, I thought it was going to be a romancish love story, but I don't think I could classify this one as a romance novel. It definitely has love, but a different kind of love.

Bea's constants moves and parents' troubled relationship left her struggling to show her emotions, afraid to grow attached to people and places, and left believing she is actually  the cold, emotionless person everyone thinks she's become (Robot Girl). Luckily it is senior year and it's Bea and her family make one last stop in Baltimore. The private school she goes to is small, with everyone having known everyone else forever. Bea meets Jonah aka Ghost Boy. Jonah, is the school outsider, he has few friends, and no one really knows why. If only they knew that he lost his twin brother Matthew and his mother in a car accident, leaving him changed forever.  Beatrice sets her mind on becoming friends, she sees something in him. 

I've never read about a friendship quite like Robot Girl's and Ghost Boy's. The two form a memorable friendship, based on Night Life, a quirky nighttime radio show, and family secrets. They form an powerful friendship, complicated by Jonah's obsession with his mentally disabled twin brother, who his father had told him died along with Bea's own problems dealing with her wacky parents. There relationship is definitely tested, but for some reason Bea can't stay away from Jonah. Jonah and Bea are never a couple - they are so much more. It's complicated they are more than friends, not lovers, but they certainly each fill a hole in the others' lives, the question is whether Jonah's hole is to deep to fill.

I loved a lot of the characters in this book, they all were different, and you learned a little bit about each of them. You even get to meet the characters on the Night Life show, all of the people start to get to know each other by their on-air personalities and they even meet in person on occasion. I loved the radio show, it was hilarious and fun to "listen in" to. Then there's Bea's mother-she's kind of crazy. First off she's obsessed with chickens, gets "sick" all the time, and in her spare time her and Bea would dress up and reenact crazy scenes.Of course, I fell in love with Bea and Jonah too, who both significantly change. 

I"m not really sure how I feel about the ending. I can't describe how I'm feeling without giving it away, but in a way I'm feeling a bit heartbroken, but definitely touched. It was kind of nice how everything came together, I had no idea, but everything Jonah did everything for a reason (It leaves you going "Oh that's why he did that!"). Although I didn't love the ending, it doesn't make or break the book.

Overall, wow what a memorable book. How To Say Goodbye In Robot is not like anything you've read before. True honest friendship (maybe even more), painfully realistic characters- that weren't normal, but were OK with it, laugh out loud moments, and so much more, what more could you ask for. I almost forgot, I loved the setup of the book- separated by months which was a great way to tell time, and a pink and black interior which I loved. I'm so happy I finally read this one, if this is in your TBR pile, move it up to the top :)

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Book Review #18
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

I've only heard great things about this book, but I never expected it to become one of my favorite books. Twenty Boy Summer basically took all the things I love and wrapped it up in this one book: a summer read, amazing characters, romance, the true meaning of friendship, loss, and learning how to let go. A perfect quote to describe Twenty Boy Summer would be "Breaks your heart and puts it back together again (Jo Knowles)." I have to admit, I teared up twice, sad tears in the beginning and happy tears at the end. I don't think I can really describe how I feel about this book, heart-warming, amazing, isn't even the beginning.

Anna, Frankie, and older brother Matt, have been best friends and neighbors since as long as Anna can remember. Anna tells almost everything to Frankie, except the little fact that she is in love with her older brother and best friend Matt. On Anna's fifteen birthday Matt returns the feelings with a magical kiss. The two share a secret relationship, stealing away every free moment alone. Matt agrees to tell Frankie the truth when they went on vacation, making Anna promise to keep this secret. During a tragic accident, Matt dies leaving a hole in Anna’s heart, as well as a huge secret to keep. For a year now Anna has been keeping their secret.  As the months pass, Anna hides her true feelings and is always there to help Frankie. Anna is invited to go along with the Frankie and her family to California for the summer. Frankie comes up with the twenty boy summer thinking Anna kind find her first love, Anna can't do anything but go along.

Anna and Frankie were great main characters, they were realistic 16 year old lifetime best friends. Ockler created a friendship with ups and downs but always strong during the struggling hardships and arguments. I could really relate to the almost sister friendship Anna and Frankie shared. I felt all of the emotions Anna went through, from crying, laughing, and even feeling that giddiness and excitement she gets when she meets someone that makes her think she can actually let go. From Anna's experiences you learn so many useful life lessons, such as finding out that new memories can't erase the old ones.  

Although Matt was not alive for most of the book, he is still a huge part of the story. I clung onto each part of  every memory and bits of information describing Matt. Matt seemed like a really great person. At times I found myself wishing he would just come back. Ockler created the perfect way of showing the constant struggle to pretend to be OK, wishing to remember the past but still letting go what needs to be done. You receive enough information about Matt that leads you to really understand  the pain and grief the characters go through.

The setting of the book, made it just that much better. The girls spend their summer vacation in California for the "Absolutely Best Summer Ever" or ABSE for short. The summer isn't picture perfect, it reminded me of my actual experiences I had when I went to the beach. The descriptions and writing really makes you appreciate the beauty of the ocean and beach. Unlike other books, the descriptions literally make you feel. I could almost hear the sound of the ocean, the breeze in the wind, and the warmth on my feet as I walked around the sand.

There are so many more great things I loved about this book, but it would seriously take me forever. There are so many memorable quotes-even passages- that I won't forget. At times they were even lyrical such as,"I just swallow hard. Nod and smile. One foot in front of the other. I'm fine, thanks for not asking" (Ockler 273) and "I really don't even know you and yet in my life you are forever entangled to my history inextricably bound" (Ockler 266).Whew, that was one of the longest reviews I have ever written, which just shows how strongly I feel about this book. There aren't any complaints I can think about this one, just a warning that there are some more mature concepts in the book for younger readers to look out for. Just thinking about Twenty Boy Summer makes me smile. If you haven't read this one yet, I strongly recommend that you do. Don't let the title fool you, this book is definitely not just a beach read.

Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate

Book Review #17
Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
Rating: Four stars (review to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

How can you take the guy your best friend loves . . . when your best friend’s going to die?

Alison Chapman has always believed she’d fall in love hard. And she does—with Sam Cody, a new guy with a gorgeous face and brooding eyes, a guy who’s impossible to resist. When Sam asks her to the Valentine’s Day dance, Alison is elated . . . until she finds out that her best friend, Isabella Cates-Lopez, has fallen for Sam,too . . . until she finds out that Isabella is dying. Now Alison wants Isabella’s last days to be her happiest ever—even if she and Sam have to hide their love. Even if, by sharing Sam, Alison risks losing him forever.

I just finished reading Sharing Sam a few minutes ago, I can literally say I devoured it in one sitting. I feel a bunch of different things all at one, emotional/touched, and even sad that the book ended so quickly. I almost wished a read it slower, so it would last longer. Sharing Sam is a unique story that covers just about everything from love, loss, humor, and the sacrifices made for true friendship. Risk-taking high school student Alison Chapman hears rumors about the "gorgeous" new kid Sam Cody. Alison gets to make her own judgments about Sam while practically saving his life. From then on, Alison knew she had deep feelings for Sam, those butterfly sickening stomach feelings. On the other hand, her best friend, Isabella Cates-Lopez, finds out out that she is diagnosed with cancer, dying, but also falling in love with Sam. Alison doesn't know what to do, she doesn't have the heart to tell her about her feelings/relationship with Sam. She becomes torn between telling the truth or lying to protect someone you care about. Allison comes up with a plan, to share Sam. 

I really couldn't decide whether Allison was doing the right thing or not. I loved her character, she was honestly a good person, who wants to help others. This might just be me, but I really liked how the main characters acted their age, in other books I feel like the characters act way older than they actually are. Along with liking Allison and Izzy, I loved Sam. He was mysterious at first, but once you find out the truth to the "rumors", you can't help but fall in love with Sam. He's sweet and just different than other boys. The book was written a couple of years ago, so it was a bit outdated, but it wasn't a problem. The story had a bit of a twist at the end, which was a surprise. 

Overall, I glad I picked this book up last second. I did have some tears, not all sad ones, near the end, so make sure to be prepared with a box of tissues nearby. My only wish was that the book was longer, but other than that if your looking for a deeper romantic, emotional read, that will leave you thinking at the end, pick this one up!

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro

Book Review #16
The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from back of the book)
Parker Stanhope has played soccer practically since she could walk. And now that she’s a high school junior, everything she’s worked for is finally coming together. She’s paid her dues on the field, and as an upperclassman, she’s a shoo-in for the varsity team. Anyway, the coach moves everyone from JV up to varsity. It's just what happens. But that’s not what happens. This year, Coach Hartley moved up every JV player but two—and one of those two was Parker. 
Parker has spent her life being a team player, but as soon as school starts, she's stuck with (horrors of horrors) the freshman, and her love of the game is seriously beginning to fail. Worse? Her friends her own age are cutting her loose, and now the freshman kid across the street is the only person who'll give her the time of day.
But Parker's determined to get her life back. She has to get on the varsity team and she has the perfect plan. The only catch? She has to trick her way into place in the kissing booth at the school's annual sports fair, then pull a stunt crazier than any she could dream up on her own. But that kiss has to look real. And Parker is less than experienced in playing that sort of field. Parker knows that practice makes perfect. Now she just has to find the right coach... 

After just reading a pretty intense read, The ABC's of Kissing is just what I needed to lighten the mood. I loved the setup of the book, the chapters were labeled in alphabetically order and had words revolving around kissing/kisses. I didn't even know some of these terms, they were really fun, like "butterfly kiss" and "caterpillar kiss". Not only did the book focus on the kissing aspect, but also the true meaning of friendships, popularity, and finding yourself. Parker losing her spot on the varsity team, resulted in losing her "friends". Parker will do just about anything to get her old life back, even if that means resorting to getting help from the freshman next door. I really enjoyed Tristan's character, he was cute, funny, and oddly mature for his age. The fact that their dads were feuding, added the perfect touch. When Parker's plan starts to unravel, she finds out who her real friends are and realizes that, maybe, possibly, it's worth it to to be seen with the freshman. In the end, Parker falls for the wrong guy, the last guy in fact she ever thought she’d like. Although the end, was a bit predictable, the romance was definitely real. The ABC's of Kissing was a very cute, sweet, even funny, and a very fluffy read, that well undoubtedly leave you smiling by the end. It was a short, fun book that was just prefect for relaxing with after a long day.

Lucky T

Book review #13
Lucky T by Kate Brian
Rating: Three stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
Lucky T isn't the best book the world, but it was a good light read. The plot is a bit predictable and the story line is kind of crazy- revolved around 16 year old Carrie, who has everything going for her, due to a lucky t-shirt given to her by her dad who she rarely sees. One day, her lucky T accidentally gets thrown into a give-away pile for kids in India, from that day on Carrie's luck dramatically changed. Guess where Carrie spends her summer vacation? India! Carrie travels half-way around t...more 16 year old Carrie,  has everything going for her, due to a lucky t-shirt given to her by her dad who she rarely sees. One day, her lucky T accidentally gets thrown into a give-away pile for kids in India, from that day on Carrie's luck dramatically changed. Guess where Carrie spends her summer vacation? India! Carrie travels half-way around the world to track down her lucky t-shirt, finding love, adventure, and hopefully a little luck on the way.

 Lucky T isn't the best book the world, but it was a good light read. The plot is a bit predictable and the story line is kind of crazy. Surprisingly the book doesn't only focus on the importance of a t-shirt, but touches on other aspects such as romance, believing in yourself, and friendship. It was really nice reading a book that was set in another place (India), I got to learned a lot about Indian culture and how life is like in India, which I didn't know much about before. The best part about the book was seeing Carrie's overall transformation, by the end of the trip the t-shirt isn't her main priority, she grows up a lot. Lucky T is a story about good will, forgiveness, taking chances and taking responsibilities for your mistakes. In the end, not a bad read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny/romantic read. 

Front and Center

Book review #12
Front and Center by Catherine Gillbert Murdock
Rating: Three starts (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
After a few crazy months, everything is finally back to normal for high school junior D.J. Schwenk. D.J. heads back to school just in time for basketball season, after taking time off to take care of  her older brother after his spinal cord injury. After being in the spotlight for so long, D.J. is looking forward to blending in both on and off the court, but she gets no such luck. D.J. is forced to make big decisions about college, boys, and about the kind of girl she wants to be. 

Front and Center is the third book in the Dairy Queen series, although it wasn't my favorite book in the series, I loved cheering for D.J. on the sidelines as good things finally happened to her. D.J. has so much going on and the pressure is really getting to her. One of her good friends (Beaner) publicly announces that he has a big interest in D.J., while Beaner is funny and fun to be around, Brian suddenly comes back into the picture. D.J. finds herself torn between to great guys. I have to admit even though Brian hurt D.J., I was glad he made an appearance. Then there's Win and almost everyone in Red Bend pressuring her about calling college coaches and whether or not to play Big Ten basketball. D.J. has a having a hard time deciding what she really want to do, tied in with her inability to talk to people, leads to D.J. in very uncomfortable situations. D.J. learns that Schwenks have never been good at talking, but that's exactly what everyone's telling her to do. One of the few things I didn't like, was the fact that D.J. was always complicating things and that the story was written in a narrative style, not really "showing" what happened, but just explaining it. 

Although there were a lot of things that I really loved. First off, I loved D.J.'s character, Catherine Murdock does a great job in creating a unique character with very common thoughts and concerns. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments, I loved reading D.J.'s commentary on the world. I loved her family almost as much, although her family has obvious flaws, they're always there for each especially when it matter most. My favorite part about the whole series was the ending, it wasn't too perfect, but it was realistic, it was a perfect way to end D.J.'s story. Overall, it was a good read, for those of you who read the first two books in the series, you won't be disappointed.

Same Difference

Book Review #11
Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
Rating: Three stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
Emily is sick of living her cookie cutter lifestyle in Cherry Grove, Pennsylvania. She wants a change, she's been in the same town with the same friends for a long time. From many peoples' views it would appear that Emily has a "perfect" life- money, looks, good friends, but if you look closer you see that Emily's not happy at all. She is sick of doing the same thing everyday and wasting the days of Summer.  Emily decides to enroll in an art program (three days a week)in Philadelphia to try to discover who she is. She meets people who finally understand her and share her  love of art. Emily is introduced to new experiences and meets new friends who show her the world  in a whole different way, but as the summer progresses Emily starts to get confused and caught in between two worlds.

I love the cover of Same Difference, in fact that's what made me pick it up in the first place. The thing I most enjoyed about the book was the fact that it was realistic. The characters have real emotions and their share of dysfunction. The author did a great job showing the ups and down of friendship, she perfectly captured the way you can love and hate your best friend at the same time. I think a lot of people can relate to  the struggle for finding your own identitiy.  The only thing I didn't like about the book was that even though Emily wanted to be her own person, she tried to imitate every person she met. At first she was a carbon copy of Meg, then she tried to be just like Fiona. I felt like she didn't really have her own personality. Although in the end, I loved being there with Emily as she grows up and finally realizes she can have the best of both worlds. I really enjoyed the Same Difference, I didn't fall in love with it, but it's a good read :) I would recommend this book to fans of Deb Calliti.

Touch

Book Review #10
Touch by Francine Prose
Rating: One star (refer to rating system on the right)

Summary:
For the longest time fourteen year old Maisie has had three best friends: Kevin, Chris and Shakes. Maisie lives with her dad and stepmom, who she doesn't get along with, so she decides to live with her mom and her new stepdad for her 8th grade year. By the time she comes back for her 9th grade year everything has changed, especially with Maisie’s new body. She's matured and now has large breasts. The boys don't know how to treat her anymore, things start to get awkward and confusing. One day something happens to Maisie in the back of the bus, involving her three best friends, but no one knows exactly what happened. Rumors start to spin out of control and everyone gets involved. The incident at the back of the bus becomes the center of Maisie's life and everyone wants to know what really went on. 

Unfortunately, Touch is the first book I've given one star to so far. I read Touch a couple of days ago and I have to say I didn't really enjoy it. I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like about it; maybe it was the way it was written- the story was written throughout different time periods (it alternates from the past then to the present etc.-it was all over the place);I felt like I was in stuck in some sort of time loop. Maisie tells her recount on the bus incident differently each time, which really confused me, I didn't know what to believe. The plot was good, but it wasn't well executed, it was repetitive and frankly quite boring. The characters didn't have much personality. There wasn't even a great ending, I just thought it was almost pointless. Bottom line-don't waste your time with this one. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Book Review #8
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
 Belly, her mother, and her older brother Steven spend every summer at the beach house with her mother's best friend Susannah and her two teenage boys (Jemimah and Conrad). Jeremiah and Conrad have been everything to Belly, they have been her brotherly figures, her crushes, and everything in between. Belly, being the only girl, was used to being left out, but during her 16th summer everything changes. Belly isn't treated like one of the boys anymore, she's pretty, and everyone is noticing. Belly isn't used to all the changes and gets confused. Belly battles growing up, love, and family issues all at the same time. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty is one of my favorite kinds of books, a literal beach/summer read.Jenny Han did a great job describing summer and childhood friendships making it a wonderful novel. I really liked this book, there were a couple of things I really enjoyed such as: the flashbacks of previous summers, realistic characters who have real problems,the let down of summer romances, hard core issues that make it something more than just a summer read, and the coming of age storyline (I could could on and on...). I absolutely can't wait for the sequel to come out (Its Not Summer Without You). I would recommend this book to everyone, especially for Sarah Dessen fans.

A Time for Dancing

Book Review #6
A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

I read this book awhile ago, but I still find myself thinking about it. A Time for Dancing is one of my all time favorite books. Centered around two inseparable best friends I(Samantha and Julia) who share the love of dancing. Out of the blue one Julia become diagnosed with cancer. The moment Julia discovers she has cancer, their lives are turned upside down. Alternating between the views of the two friends, you see both sides of the story. I didn't know much about cancer, after reading the book...more Summary:  
The book focuses around two inseparable best friends (Samantha and Juliana) who share the love of dancing. Out of the blue one day, Juliana becomes diagnosed with cancer. The moment Juliana discovers she has cancer, both of their lives are turned upside down, but through tears and happiness they fight the battle together. 

I read this book awhile ago, but I still find myself thinking about it. A Time for Dancing is one of those books you'll never forget. One of my favorite things about the book is that it alternates between the views of the two friends, so you get to see both sides of the story.  I didn't know much about cancer, but after reading the book, I had a much better understanding of the disease. A Time for Dancing was so well written I could feel the pain Juliana went through. A Time for Dancing is a book that really touches the soul. It made me appreciate all the great things I have in life and to treasure my friends and family. You get to experience an example of true friendship, love, and even death. I'm warning you, have a box of tissues nearby. A Time for Dancing will be one of the best books you have read. I can't really find any bad things to say about this book; I would recommend this book to anyone. (There is also a just as good sequel called The Farther You Run.)