When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Release Date: May 1^st 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 334 pages

Source: Borrowed

I loved that book and I don’t even know why. Maybe because it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. No, I think because it was written from Rose's perspective. We all know who is rose. She is Romeo's first love.

There were some parts in this novel that didn’t feel realistic. There was rush in some parts, unexplained. But the romance in this book was cute and forced me into flipping the pages quickly.

Also the writing style was so amazing. It kept on pulling me deeper and deeper into the book. There were deep messages and I enjoyed reading between the lines.

In addition to that, I liked Rose's friends. They were shallow (for most of the time) but everyone has a problem and they werent excluded for that. Each one of them had their own character and their problems were a reflection of who they are.

In total, I really liked this book. Totally recommend it.  

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. 

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Release Date: June 28^th 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 307 pages

Source: Library

Series: None

 Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

First of all, I want to say that if you haven’t read anything by Lisa Schroeder, you should. The Day Before is my second novel, after reading her wonderful book 'Chasing Brooklyn'. Lisa writes in verse style which makes the book very easy to read.

The Day Before is full of emotion. I got attached to the characters in no time. I felt sorry for them for their problems. I felt happy for Amber and Cade finding each other, dissolving into each other's problems. Lisa does a great job in defining the characters with small acts. For example, Amber loves jelly beans and is a drummer. I mean how often you see a female drummer in a book. I found that very exciting and helped me see who Amber is. For Cade, he is a songwriter. Perfect, right?

I liked the setting; it was mostly on a beach. Personally, I felt I was with Amber and Cade feeling the sand underneath my feet and watching the water clean up the shore.

One thing I didn’t like is the fact that I kept comparing The Day Before with Chasing Brooklyn. I couldn’t stop thinking about Chasing Brooklyn. I shouldn’t be comparing since I am planning to read all of Lisa's book before the end of the year.

It was a great book.