Showing posts with label Kasie West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kasie West. Show all posts

Book Review: Lucky in Love by Kasie West



Lucky in Love
Author: Kasie West
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: July 25th 2017
Review Source: Scholastic | Edelweiss

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

Kasie West is easily one of my favorite YA authors. Everytime I read one her books I get lost and won’t get up for anything until I’m finished. It pains me more than anything to say Lucky in Love wasn’t one of those times. While I did still enjoy it and most definitely had everything I love in a contemporary YA, it just wasn’t my favorite. Which is bound to happen when I fall so deeply for each and every one of her books.

Maddie is gearing up for graduation and waiting for her college acceptance letters to be coming any day now. She has spent her whole life trying to get to this point in her life. She had to get the grades so she could get the scholarships or else she wouldn’t be able to afford to go. Her father lost his job and was having a hard time finding a new one, her brother was even taking time off from school to save up and then return, and she kept her sights on colleges nearby because of issues in her family that she couldn’t help but try to fix. So on one not so great 18th birthday, Maddie goes to the convenience store to indulge in her sweet tooth when the store clerk convinced her to buy a lottery ticket. Maddie knows the odds, she knows a lot of random facts, but she went with it anyways. And low and behold she won! She was now a millionaire, she was able to afford college, help her parents out, and her brother. Her problems were officially solved, or were they?

Maddie was now in the limelight, everyone knew about her winnings, except for her crush Seth, who has been grounded from the internet and phone and would’ve missed all the news about a town local winning. She finds out after winning the lottery it becomes hard to find out who she can trust and since Seth doesn’t know she starts to open up more to now then she had in the past. Which starts to blossom their relationship.

As I stated this wasn’t exactly my favorite Kasie West book and I’m not really sure where it went wrong for me. I don’t think I swooned for Seth as much as I would’ve loved to. Or maybe I’m just jealous I haven’t won the lottery yet, but it was just something and I don’t know where this book fell short with me. Again though, I did enjoy it, I loved seeing how someone would navigate winning the lottery, especially in high school where she flew under the radar until her winnings. There were times I just shook my head and said “girlllll I wouldn’t do that” and times I would’ve splurged just like her. It was cute and though I didn’t swoon for Seth, I did really like him, he had some good quips in there that I loved and wanted more of.

Nonetheless Kasie West is and always will be an autobuy author for me. I’ll never get enough of her writing. She is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary YA authors out there. She never fails at getting me out of a reading slump and making me fall in love all over again.


OUaT is Heading to @YALLWEST!


So exciting news... Shannon from the OUaT team will be attending YallWest this year and seriously cannot contain her excitement! I mean seriously, Cassandra Clare is going to be there, it's a dream come true. Not only will Cassandra Clare be there, a ton of extremely amazing authors will be in attendance. Like Renée Adhieh (OUaT favorite), Victoria Aveyard, creator of my favorite villain; Leigh Bardugo, Melissa de la Cruz, Nicola Yoon, Kasie West, and so many more!






We are also very fortunate to be interviewing this amazing authors at the festival as well! If anyone has questions for Melissa, Marie and Sandhya please leave them in the comments below or tweet us at @twilightsdance! 




And last but not least...


Which I'll be honest, I'm the most excited about because When Dimple Met Rishi has been my favorite book of the year so far! Watch out for my review coming up. 

 If you happen to see me walking around please don't hesitate to come up and say hi!

 



Book Review: By Your Side by Kasie West




By Your Side
By Your Side
Author: Kasie West
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: January 31st 2017 
Review Source: Purchased

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side? 

At a Glance: 
Locked in a library? Sold!

Cover:
Kissing. Sold! (I’m a big fan of kissing in books.)

Action:
Definitely no action. Definitely a swoon-worthy book. 

Romance:
Obviously there’s romance, there’s people kissing on the cover. And boy does Kasie West know how to turn on the swoon! 

Something I loved:
While I have made it clear that I love the romance and the kissing in this book, I also love how she gives her characters in depth, “flaws”, something that makes them real and relatable. Autumn and Dax are both living through their own shadows which helps bring them closer together. 

Something I didn’t like:
It ended...?

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely! Kasie West is one of my top favorite YA authors, her books never fail. Check out By Your Side, P.S I Like You, The Fill-in Boyfriend, The Distance Between Us, and everything else by her. I seriously cannot get enough of her work! 


Book Review: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West



P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: July 26th 2016
Review Source: Purchased

Signed, sealed, delivered…

While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

One thing is for for sure, when it comes to Kasie West I am NEVER disappointed. Her contemporary YA books make me so giddy and swoony and just everything I look for when I’m going into a book like that.

So obviously I’m going to be spending the next couple of paragraphs  explaining to you how you’re completely missing out on Kasie West and all her YA glory. And if you’re a genius like me and have already read her, adored her, and consumed all her books like I did, I know you’ll read this with a head nod agreeing your way through.

Alright, alright, alright, P.S. I Like You follows sweet songwriter, Lily, who always seems to be nose deep in taking notes on which lyrics sound better than what’s going on in chemistry. After too many failed attempts at being discreet, Lily’s teacher forces her to put the notebook away and have only one sheet out for note taking out, which inevitably doesn’t stop her and she ends up doodling lyrics from a favorite band on her desk. Then to her surprise the next day someone continued on with the lyrics which became the start of a secret desk pen pal (they did move onto secret notes under the desk, no one needs to be writing that much on a school desk). Lily is finding that writing to her pen pal is cathartic, who ever they be seems to understand her and her music, she’s able to express herself a little more to anonymity than she is to the real world.

In any Kasie West book you are always guaranteed organic relationships, especially between friends and families. Lily has good and bad days with her siblings, her and her best friend aren’t always picking roses. Everything just feels real. Then you get the swoon factor in there and I always get nostalgic for high school and the butterflies that accompanied whenever your crush walked through the door. The best part though is that every relationship gets worked on, gets better, stronger, and I always have to hug her books when I’m done. So please pick this up and then pick up every other Kasie West book in the vicinity. They are just too cute and too perfect.

Waiting on Wednesday: United as One & P.S. I Like You



Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



United as One
Lorien Legacies #7
Author: Pittacus Lore
Release Date: June 28th 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins


The epic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series!

The Mogadorian invasion has come to Earth, and they have all but won the battle for our planet. Their warships loom over our most populous cities—like New York City, Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing, and New Delhi—and no army will risk making a move against them. The Garde are all that stand in their way . . . but they are no longer alone in this fight. Human teens from across the globe, like John Smith’s best friend, Sam Goode, have begun to develop Legacies of their own.

The Garde have always known there is power in numbers. If they can find these new allies and join forces with them, they just might be able to win this war. The time has come for the Garde to make their final stand.


P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: July 26th 2016
Publisher: Point


What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.
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