Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Book review #58

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Rating: Five stars

Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

 

I honestly have no idea where to begin. Twenty Boy Summer was one of my all time favorite books, so I was nervous that Fixing Delilah wouldn't be as good. Boy was I wrong. Fixing Delilah left me speechless, it's definitely going onto my favorite books list. Better yet I can confirm that Sarah Ockler is without a doubt an amazing author. She has a way to put all my favorite things into one book. Fixing Delilah had everything from romance, mystery, to family relationships.Ockler really knows how to balance everything creating the perfect blend.

 

Delilah has had a very rough year and to top it all off she's being forced to spend the summer in her old hometown to help plan for her grandmother's funeral. After both her grandparents died and with her aunt dead, she was only one of the three Hannafords left. Right after her grandfather died, her mother packed up and moved to Red Falls. Delilah never knew why she had to leave her hometown behind. Eight years later she's back and she's determined to uncover the truth. 

The characters were perfect. If wanted to pick characters to read about it I would chose this cast. There's Emily who is the nice outgoing good friend that Delilah's never had. Then there's the Hannaford sisters. Family is really important to me. I know all about crazy family secrets and sister rivalries. It was so refreshing to see family play such an important part in the book. I loved see how the siblings interacted with each other. Of course Patrick was my absolute favorite. Delilah and Patrick grew up together and now eight years later they realized they have feelings for each other. Childhood best friends turned lovers are just my type of romance :) It was so pure and real. Lastly there was Delilah herself. She has a had a tough time lately, transforming from a  good girl into who knows what. Her friendships are falling apart, her love life isn't any better, and to top it all off the family mystery is driving her crazy. But the moment she steps back into Red Falls everything changes...

 

Sarah Ockler sure does know how to write a love scene! The chemistry and interactions between the two can be compared to scenes written by Simone Elkeles and Jennifer Echols. It made those who haven't experienced those feelings longing to fall in love. Not only does she know how to write a love scene, but her writing over all is impeccable. There were so many memorable quotes and verses. The lines flew effortless almost off the page. I was so engrossed in what was going on, I had forgotten everything I had to do that day. Fixing Delilah became the number one thing on my mind.

 

I almost forgot about the setting of the book. Red Falls is even better than a summery beach town. It's small and a place I would love to spend my summer at. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I knew my way around town.

 

For those of you exciting for Fixing Delilah to be released, get even more excited! It definitely won't disappoint. Fans of Twenty Boy Summer are guaranteed to fall in love. Realism, coming of age, romance, and the added family tension makes this one unforgettable read. I'm anxiously awaiting for the release date as well, so I can get a copy of my own.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Book review #46
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined? .

Sea Change is a refreshing change from the typical summer read. I was immediately drawn in from the introduction of the smart mysterious main character. Sea Change is one of those books you get so lost in that you block everything else out and just escape. It was really fun spending a couple of weeks at the magnificent Selkie Island...a place a lot different than most of us are used to.

16 year old Miranda planned on spending her summer interning at the glorious Museum of Natural History in New York. But everything changes when her grandmother passes away. Before she knows it, she finds herself living at the enormous mansion her grandmother left behind on Selkie Island. Miranda is exposed to a whole other world. She's captured by the southern hospitality, mystical roots, and array of people she meets. Miranda is left discovering the many secrets the island holds...

Miranda was a lovely main character. She was smart, intriguing, and very easy to relate to. She learned more about herself as the book went along and I really loved that. She was just different and that was expressed by her struggle to fit in with everyone else. Her romance with Leo was so sweet. Their connection was memorable. Leo is one of those guys that makes your heart melt. Although it was obvious he had his secrets ( which made me like him even more). T.J., the other guy battling for Miranda's attention, was not my favorite. He was a great example of someone close to perfect, but not appealing at all.

Sea Change was a beautiful coming of age story. The enchanting setting, amazing romance, and mystery really set this book apart. The suspense really kept you on edge. It was wonderful solving the mysterious of the past and learning more about Miranda's family history. Although others my not love the ending, I enjoyed the fact that it was left so open, leaving an endless amount of possibilities. 

Overall Sea Change was a unique summer read that really is magical. I'm so happy I got a chance to read this one. It's perfect for a day at the beach or even a cozy day at home. I'll definitely be looking out for Friedman's other books. I definitely recommend this one, so make sure to pick up a copy! Oh and isn't the cover just stunning? (:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Book review #27
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Whew I'm pretty exhausted from the wacky adventure I just took along with Ginny traveling through  London, Denmark, Greece, Paris, Rome, and even Amsterdam. 13 Little Blue Envelopes isn't the shortest book, but it was a surprisingly quick read. It flowed so easily, I found myself reading it one sitting. It was definitely different and unique. I can definitely say travel mixed in with humor and romance resulted in one awesome book.

Ginny's crazy Aunt Peg is gone due to cancer and the only thing left of her are thirteen blue envelopes.  The journey begins with the first letter  instructing Ginny to go to New York to pick up the rest of the envelopes. After retrieving the rest of the letters, she's off to London with everything she has stuffed inside a big backpack. Ginny begins the craziest adventure she's ever experienced. The only guide she has are the letters, which she may not open until her current task is completed. With twists and turns on the way, new scenery and interesting people Ginny almost becomes a whole other person.

There were so many awesome things about the book, but I would have to say the traveling and adventure was my favorite. Ginny traveled to so many different places, and got herself into the funniest situations. Ginny goes through almost everything- from sleeping on a park bench to staying with a random creepy family in Amsterdam. I learned a lot  about places I knew nothing about which was just an added plus.

 I loved all the characters Ginny met along her journey.All the characters were so different and unique. Ginny also meets the adorable Keith, who helps her along the way. The only information given about Aunt Peg were mainly in the letters, but that was enough for me to fall in love with her. She was such a cool interesting person. I also loved Ginny's personal transformation. Ginny is an ordinary likable person, who goes an a crazy journey that helps her discover who she really is.

Who wouldn't want to read about a real life scavenger hunt? An adventurous, romantic, light, and very fun read, are just a few words to perfectly sum up 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I know I definitely finished this book with a smile on my face. I had so much fun traveling with Ginny! I think everyone should check this one out :)

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.