The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2^nd 2012

Publisher: Poppy/Little Brown

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 256 pages

Source: Borrowed

 I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would.

I think my expectations were really high for this book thanks to all the reviews and tweets but it didn’t deliver. I just felt if it was longer, it might have added depth into the story for me.

It is one of those 1 day love story, though to me, it felt really rushed. Maybe I am not a believer of love at first sight. I just think it's hard to fall in love with someone at the airport, but maybe since Oliver is British it might make sense.

But there was something in this book that I loved so much. And that is the relationship between Hadley and her father. The author did a great job in creating this amazing relationship that stands out among others. We see how Hadley is mad at her father for leaving them and how her emotions changes over the course of the novel. Now this relationship was well-developed.

Also this book was a reminder of how traveling could be awesome, sometimes.

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Release Date: August 16^th 2011

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 308 pages

Source: Borrowed

Series: 3

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill. 

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules. 

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

For the first time ever, I am going to say that I am glad that this series is over. Don’t get wrong. My favorite book of all times is Perfect Chemistry. But Chain Reaction (the third book) to me was a repeat of Chain reaction. I felt like so many things that happened between Alex and Brittany were happening again in this book. I didn’t like Luis and Nikki much. I just didn’t dig this book.

But that didn’t stop me from liking the writing style once again. and get excited everytime Alex or Carlos are mentioned.

Also, the ending was shocking in this book. So if you are a fan of the last two books, you need to read this book because of this unexpected ending (Even though, it lacked explanation).

Overall, it was a great series. And I am waiting for more from Simone. 

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: September 5^th 2011

Publisher: Poppy

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 273 pages

Source: Borrowed

Series: None

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention 

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

I am a huge fan of kody ever since I read The DUFF. She brought a refreshing story to the market and so her next book ' Shut Out' mission was to deliver my expectations.

And it did, people.

The female main character once again was audacious and very original. She had the voice of an actual teen. Kody made her easy to relate to her and picture her easily. I liked how we get to see different layers from Lissa's character. For example, she acts in a certain way and we know why. We are given the reasons.

Now about the concept of the book, it may seem like ordinary at first. But WRONG. TOTALLY WRONG. It tackled a problem that many teens face, especially girls. And Kody discuss it duly. I respect that and love it.

Also, I have feeling Kody's books are going to be my tradition to read them in the fall. Just because I read Shut Out the same time I read The Duff (around November) and so I guess I will be reading all her books from now on in the fall. Just because ( I guess) I am usually in the mood of reading cute, yet layered books around exam times.

Anyways, I AM A BIG FAN OF KODY AND HER WORK!

P.S. I checked goodreads and it turns out that I read this book in one day.  So yeah! 

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Release Date: January 3^rd 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 299 pages

Source: ARC

Series: Stand alone

Joy Delamere is suffocating... 

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. 

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far. 

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late. 

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Just when I thought contemporary books couldn’t get any edgier, I read Don’t Breathe A Word which changed my view. And I'm not exaggerating but it also made me aware of an issue that I didn’t know existed in USA.

The issue is homeless teenagers and the many problems they face before they became homeless and after. Holly does a great job in making me feel sorry for the unfortunate teenagers who are given no choice but to live on the streets.

This book has many messages that I think is useful to teenagers. It is one of those books that can ensure its readers, who are having problems stronger than them in their lives, that tomorrow will be better. That you need to strengthen yourself because you deserve that.

I really loved Joy. She was awesome and adaptable when it came to the life she decided on. She's been through a lot thanks to Asher who I hate like crazy. I hate you Asher and you cant do anything about it. you're so full of nothingness. Ok, now that its off my chest, I can talk about Creed.

Creed is this protector whom I viewed as a superhero in this book. I want a whole book written from Creed's perspective. I just want to read him talk. That's all. He was a great character symbolizing so many wonderful things in our world.

Anyways, this book was enjoyable and an eye opener on a topic that doesn’t get much attention in our world. Homeless teenagers.   

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Release Date: January 3^rd 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 304 pages

Source: e-ARC

Series: None

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

I finished Unraveling Isobel two days ago and for some reason, its still lingering in my thoughts. Not that it was a complex read or anything. But it was more like a really cute, fun, quick read to me. It had all the elements that could be found in a novel (and if you follow my review, you will know that it is something that I always pinpoint at it in my reviews if it exists in a book). It has the romance element, which was really realistic to teenagers. It wasn’t hot or steamy. It was just cute. And sometimes I miss that kind of innocent relationships. And I did find it in this book.

Also, there was the mystery and ghosts and creepiness going on. Especially in the last few pages. The pace just went by so fast. Or maybe you will end up reading so fast because you just want to know the ending. So muchhh.

One of the other things, that I liked about this book is the relationship between Isobel(the main character) and her dad. We don’t get to see her dad at all. But he is always thinking about him and I loved the fact that she feels guilty and sad over not being with her dad.

Also, I really liked the setting. The writing made me feel like it was set in a fairy tale world. 

Book Review: If I stay

Heyhihello

If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Release Date: April 9^th 2009

Publisher: Speak

Source: Purhcased

Series: Book 1 

The description of the book:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands. 

My review:

I picked up this book because everyone was saying it is heart-breaking and everyone who reads it always ends up crying. I don’t normally cry but I did for this book. This book was beyond amazing. It is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2011. Even though it was great, I found it a hard read. I mean, could you imagine losing everything in one moment? It is hard on everyone.

Gayle did a phenomenal job in helping us get inside Mia's (the main character) head. Mia was a character that had it all. She even found the love of her life in a very young age. Then, this accident happens to her which sucks. For most of the book, we see Mia as a ghost because her body is living on machines.

The whole book takes place in 1 day which reflects the pace of the book(hint: very fast). But, also, there were flashbacks (which I always enjoy) to give the story depth and connect with the reader.

Can we talk a little bit about Adam? Can we? He is one of the most wonderful male characters. He shows us the definition of love, caring and respect. Did I mention that he is a rock star?

Overall, each element of this book was ….I can't find the right words to describe it… beautiful. And yes, you will cry because you will want Mia and Adam's love to survive.

There is in fact book 2 and it's from Adam's perspective so I can't wait to check it out.

Tata for now 

Book Review: You Are Not Here

Heyhihello

Today I shall review a book titled "You are not here" by Samantha Schutz.

The description of the book:

Annaleah and Brian shared something special - Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together, they didn't need anyone else. It didn't matter that their relationship was secret. All that mattered was what they had with each other.
And then, out of nowhere, Brian dies. And while everyone else has their role in the grieving process, Annaleah finds herself living outside of it, unacknowledged and lonely. How can you recover from a loss that no one will let you have?

My review:

Just look at this cover. How beautiful? They are called tuplis, if not, feel free to correct me in the comment section. Anyways I loved the cover and that was only reason why I picked it up. I haven’t heard much about this book before reading it so I was guessing the story line all the time. But let me tell you, it was really good. It was written in a simple, sophisticated way. It wasn’t like a paragraph after paragraph but instead it was a sentence after the other.

The main character, Annaleah, is coping with the death of her boyfriend. She drifts away from her life and die with Brain, her boyfriend. For most of the time, I felt sad after Annaleah's loss. Brain was everything to her. She didn’t know who to talk to since their relationship wasn’t really official and so no one would believe her.

Annaleah's character is very relatable to many of people. People who falls in love for the first time and they fall hard. But there is always hope.

The author shows that Annaleah grieving after Brain's death has something to do with Annaleah past which I found pretty smart because it is good to create for a character future as well as history too.

"You are not here" is a quick, great read. 

This book was Samantha Schutz's debut for 2010 and I will be looking forward to her upcoming books.

Tata for now

Book Review: Miles from Ordinary

Heyhihello

Today I shall review a book titled Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams.

Release Date: March 15^th 2011

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Source: ARC 

Description of the book:

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....

My review:

This is my very first time reading a book by Carol Lynch Williams but I promise you it won't be the last one.

This book captivated me from the first page. Miles from Ordinary only took place in one full day and only 3 settings. But the flashbacks made it seem like a rich and a full novel.  Carol Lynch Williams made it very easy to be able to picture the 13 year old character and what she was going through. 

The book is about Lacey who struggles with her depressed mom. She is on her own of taking care of her mom. But for how long could Lacey handle that stress. I felt sorry for Lacey all the time. I wanted her to be like every other girl her age. But sometimes life isn’t fair. But lacey didn’t believe in any of this. She believed that since she is a good daughter,  she must take care of her mom no matter what.

The book left me breathless in some parts, making me wonder what might happen next. The ending was scary and creepy but towards the last page it was hopeful.

This book gives hope to all girls like lacey who are in the same situation. So to girls who are in the same situation: tomorrow will be better :)

Overall, this book was a quick read with an intriguing story.

Tata for now 

Book Review: Posing As Ashley

Heyhihello

Today I shall review a book titled "Posing as Ashley" by Kimberly Joy Peters.

Why does the modeling industry exist?

Release Date: Sept. 30^th 2008

Publisher: Lobster Press 

Source: Library

Book Series: Book 1

The description of the book: 

Sixteen-year-old Ashley has always been an overachiever, eager to please everyone (especially her mother, who is battling cancer). Her grades are high, her boyfriend is gorgeous, and she is beautiful. Ashley also has a big heart, particularly when it comes to animals, and she serves that passion by volunteering at the local animal shelter. It is there that she gets "discovered" by a client and, faced with the unexpected opportunity, Ashley decides to give professional modeling a try. One more responsibility to balance in an already demanding life, but it's something she's always dreamed of doing. 

Just as she enters the competitive and hypercritical world of fashion, parental pressures mount (her mother supports her modeling, her father does not) and her long term relationship with Brandon crumbles. Ashley makes the difficult decision to persevere with this new career, telling herself, "... if I couldn't make Brandon love me, I was going to make the world love the idea of me." As she tries to navigate the catty world of modeling wannabes, she is selected for an ad campaign that glamorizes fur – something she is utterly opposed to. Forced to choose between two passions, Ashley discovers that getting what you want isn't nearly as important as finding out who you really are. 

My review:

Posing as Ashley is a cute, quick novel with meaning. It is about Ashley who is smart and beautiful. She decides to be a model to make money for stuff like college. But we all know that the modeling career is not that easy to get into.

What I really liked about this book was that it showed me how is it like to be a model. There were so many modeling tips that made me wonder why this industry does even exist.  

Also, this book opens the door to many struggles teen models face like eating disorder and –as I like to call it- wearing disorder. There are teens and pre-teens out there who are asked to be older than they should be. In opinion, this is so wrong to even exist in this industry or any other industry. For example, in this book there is a character that is 14 years old and she modeled as a bride for a magazine. Do you see what I am talking about? It's distrusting and sad.

In addition to that this book discusses other problems that many teens face; like separation of parents, illness and loss.

Thanks to this book for opening my eyes on so many great topics. And I can't wait to read the next book.

Tata for now

Book Review: All You Get is Me

Heyhihello

Today I shall review a book titled "All You Get is Me" by Yvonne Prinz.

Here is the description of the book:

A summer of love, loss, and justice. 

Things were complicated enough for Roar, even before her father decided to yank her out of the city and go organic. Suddenly, she’s a farm girl, albeit a reluctant one, selling figs at the farmers’ market and developing her photographs in a ramshackle shed. Caught between a troublemaking sidekick named Storm, a brooding, easy-on-the-eyes L.A. boy, and a father on a human rights crusade that challenges the fabric of the farm community, Roar is going to have to tackle it all—even with dirt under her fingernails and her hair pulled back with a rubber band meant for asparagus.

My review:

This is the type of books I prefer. It's about Roar who moves from city to become a farmer. She experiences first love and a new life. But that’s not why this book was a favorite. This book was a favorite because it contained a message about a current "political" situation. And if you follow me on to twitter, you know how I love politics.

"All You Get is Me" was trying to put a spotlight on illegal immigration, specifically from Mexico. "All You Get is Me" pictured their lives in US and how they are treated. I had no prior knowledge about that situation but this book gave an access of the needed knowledge to understand the illegal immigration to US situation.   

Also, "All You Get is Me" focuses on how Americans are divided into two when it comes to their attitude toward the illegal immigrants. Some of them think that they don’t deserve their basic rights and others support the illegal immigrants' rights. Which side are you on?

I always complain about how sometimes YA authors think that the only thing teens and young adult want to read about is love stories. But Yvonne Prinz finally listened to my complains and created a book that made me think.

I don’t need to mention that Roar, the main character, was loveable and different from most of the main characters in other books. She is a photographer. Awesome.

Tata for now.  

Book Review: Geek High

I was searching for books that wasn’t too old but too new and found this perfect match. GEEK HIGH is the name of the book I will be previewing.
Geek high is a place for all the geeks. If you are gifted, geek high would be the perfect place for to be educated.

Our main character, Miranda, is a genius in math. Since was little she knew how to figure out the answer of questions such as 52,652 X 95, 737? She always felt ashamed from her little talent because everyone thought of her as a geek afterwards. Her nick name was “Human Calculator”.

Miranda’s family divorced three years ago. Since then her father rarely communicated with his daughter. One day, Miranda’s mother decided to leave and go to London to write her newest books(she writes romance novels). Miranda have no other choice but to go to her father‘s house.

Her father feels guilty for leaving Miranda for years and he does try to get closer to her (read to know how). But the problem comes from her step-mother and her step-sister. They hate her. How is she going to overcome this big obstacle?

In Geek high, Miranda’s life is not all great. She has two friends, Charlie and finn, whom we find by the end of the novel that there is something going on between them (read to know what).

Miranda like every other girl has a crush on the cutest guy (Emmet) in the school. But this Emmet disappoints her by asking someone very close to her as his date to the snowflake dance. Then, is Miranda going to give up and not have a date for the snowflake dance?

As usual I wont give out the answers to my questions. Its your job to figure them out either by guessing or reading the whole book.

I find this book very interesting becuase it issues so many problems that challenges everyday teenager.

Get your copy here

Book Review: EVERYTHING IS FINE

The author: Ann DEE Ellis.

Hardcover: 160 pages

First Edition: 1,march, 2009

School is over and I need to read something but at the same time I don’t want to feel like I am reading a text books. Well, here's a book I read right after I finished my exams "EVERYTING IS FINE". The book has different format than most of the books I have ever read . I mean most of the books contain long descriptive paragraphs but this book has small sentences and within each sentence there is a hint on what’s going to happen in Mazzy's bizarre life.

Mazzy is the main character in the novel. She lives with her mother, while her father is always away, working. Her little sister died in horrific tragic. Mazzy's mother starts to blame herself for her child's death which lead to her severe depression. Her father leaves Mazzy alone at home with the sick mother, pretending that he is away at work but he is actually escaping reality.

There's also a romance in that one. Mazzy likes her neighbor but he doesn’t feel the same way about her or maybe he is struggling to let the words slip out of his mouth.

Imagine yourself having a sick mom who is depressed, no help from anyone, and cant express your love/hatred to a near one.

The title of the book has an irony in it.You say "Everything is Fine" when 99% pf the time its not. If you agree with statement then i recommend this book for you

What happened to her at the end of the book? Does her mother overcome her issues? Does her father comes back home after a long trip? Does she become more or less isolated? Will she get the one she had her eyes on?

Well you have to read to see yourself what's going to happen in Mazzy's life.

Get your copy here

Book Review:Just Listen

Just Listen"Just Listen is one of the novels writen by Sarah Dessen. She is one of the New York Times Best-seller Authors. She is one of the most popular authors for young adults. Five of her books have been choosen as ALA Best Books for Young Adults and THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER was voted a YALSA Teen Ten Book. Sarah Dessen lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina."

***

Just Listen is one of the interesting books I have ever read. The book is not all about romance or anything like that. It is more about relationships within families. The book is about a girl named "Annabel" who is afraid from saying her problems out loud. Her friend "Owen" who becomes her boyfriend helps her to face her fears with her mother,sisters and her friends.

"Annabel" keeps how she feels to herself. she was raped by Will Cash. Will Cash is her best friend's boyfriend (Sophie). Sophie ignores Annabel because she thinks that she liked her boyfriend. Also Annabel loses her very first best friend (Clark).

Also, we learn that Annabel is a model and so her sisters are models (Kirsten and Whitney). Whitney and Kirsten has their own conflicts that we learn about later in the book.

Annabel wants to quite modaling but she thinks quiting will make her mom unhappy.

How is Annabel going to gather up the courage in the world to speak up and say what she really feels? How is she going to take revernage from Will Cash who raped her? How will Kirsten and Whitney will over come their own conflicts? How will she tell her mother that she wants to quite modeling? How is she going to get back to her best friend?

Well.... am not going to give out the answers to these questions!!!!!!!!

You have to read it yourself because its a total different experience when you are actually reading a book. Its like a journey in another human's life. It might have happened to you or to anyone dear to you

The thing is I'm surprised when I finished the book because I never thought that I would learn so much about so many things that might happen to me or to my friends but I know if it happens to me I'll know what to do.

If u hadnt read this book yet....i highly recommend it

Get your copy here