Book Review: Lucky in Love by Kasie West

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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.

Book Review: The Perfect Girl by Gilly MacMillian

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The Perfect Girl
Author: Gilly MacMillian
Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Genres: Mystery | Thriller | Suspense
Release Date: September 6th 2016
Review Source: William Morrow | Edelweiss

Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning, hiding the past even from her new husband and demanding Zoe do the same.

Tonight Zoe is giving a recital that Maria has been planning for months. It needs to be the performance of her life. But instead, by the end of the evening, Maria is dead.

In the aftermath, everyone—police, family, Zoe’s former solicitor, and Zoe herself—tries to piece together what happened. But as Zoe knows all too well, the truth is rarely straightforward, and the closer we are to someone, the less we may see.

The Story: You are following several point of views throughout the book, but the main character is Zoe. Zoe bacilli had to change her life as she knew it die to a fatal accident that she was charged for. But when the past becomes present again, Zoe's mother winds up dead. Did Zoe do it?

The Likes: I enjoyed the suspenseful part of the book, which pick up more towards the end. And in general the last few chapters were what really pique my interest. 

The Dislikes: Here I have a few, I would have preferred the story to be told in maybe just one or two point of views, the multiple ones had me lost or just wanting to almost skip over that specific character or scene.  I didn't like that it took almost reading the whole book to reach the exciting parts that actually did keep me on the edge of my seat.  And some characters, probably could have been left out. 

The Rating: So with all that I said, even though the story finally did pick up towards the end, it still wasn't enough of a boost to get a higher rating. Would I still recommend, sure. 

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Book Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

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The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 3rd 2016
Review Source: Simon & Schuster

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing - if everything's planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

The Unexpected Everything was everything I expected from Morgan Matson, the perfect YA story. Sadly this is only my second read of Matson’s, it definitely won't be my last, a forever fan has been installed inside me. When I read Since You've Been Gone a couple of years ago I honestly cried when I finished, it was beautiful, perfect, and definitely helped me with my 1,700 mile move. So when I saw The Unexpected Everything was coming up I told all the girls here at OUaT that I called dibs (hopefully they didn't mind), I couldn't wait to get my greedy hands on it. Unfortunately when that beautiful book came into my possession I was in the WORST book rut ever and happened to be moving so I just looked at it forlornly until I was going to be ready and somewhat unpacked (I didn't want to feel guilty for sitting for hours at a time). Boxes are unpacked, book rut is a thing of the past, and I have The Unexpected Everything to thank for that.

Andie is a planner. She has her summer planned out, her future mapped out, amazing friends, and a dating system that works for her. What Andie doesn't have planned out are the repercussions from a scandal involving her father. So now the summer is beginning and Andie has no internship and no clue what she's going to do. After realizing there is literally nothing left for her to do in the realm of internships Andie searches for help wanted ads, while she finds a few they all end up leading to dead ends, but  it’s  a very nondescript ads that landed her walking dogs all summer. While not ideal or anything that’ll help further her dreams of becoming a doctor, she does meet a very cute boy along the way, Clark, whom I have swooned over SO much the entire time. This summer is going to challenging for Andie, different, her plans are out the window, she has a new job, her dad is always around, her friends are actually all together for the summer and then there’s Clark.

I seriously don’t think I can even scratch the surface with the amount of love and admiration I have for The Unexpected Everything. Let’s just start with everything beautiful inside, (obviously we know the cover is beautiful) first off the friendships, they’re solid and strong, but like everything solid and strong storms around bound to weather the foundation. The relationship and lack thereof with Andie and her father and them getting back to their roots where they don’t feel like they’re walking on eggshells around each other. Andie’s relationship with Clark, evolving her as person, getting her to read (to listen to books), opening her eyes. And then the dogs! Hello! Who doesn’t love dogs?! Alright, some people don’t, but c’mon at least they’re cute to look at (most of the times).

Morgan Matson creates these beautifully real stories that touch your heart. Bringing you back to summer and being a teen, falling in and out of love, fighting and making up and family dynamics that are hard to maneuver. Everything seems so real and you’re easily transported right there, walking the dogs with Andie, falling for Clark, building your relationship back with your dad, and having a blast with your friends. There will never be a time that I turn down reading a Matson book, Morgan is now forever an autobuy author.

Book Review: The House by Christina Lauren

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The House
Author: Christina Lauren
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Released: October 6th 2015
Review Source: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers | Edelweiss

Gavin tells Delilah he’s hers—completely—but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees.

After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he’s crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings.

Delilah is instantly smitten.

Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn’t human, and isn’t afraid of hurting her to keep her away.

The House is odd, scary to most with its dark tall gates, patchwork style, and looming trees; but Delilah Blue wasn’t scared she was intrigued, curious about the house that seemed to thrive. She was also curious about the boy that lived inside, Gavin Timothy, who incidentally was part of the reason she was away at boarding school for seven years. Delilah Blue was sent away after punching some kids that were picking on Gavin, she had a crush on him then and it still seemed to be ever present to this day. But Gavin isn’t like most teenagers his age, he keeps to himself, he wears dark clothes, he’s the boy you bring home to scare your parents, and his home life is definitely not like anyone else’s.

“What do you want from me, Delilah?” “I want to be the only girl you look at.”

Gavin warns Delilah that his house isn’t the same as others, his life being brought up is different than most, and she should tread lightly, but that only intrigues her more, she doesn’t mind the oddness, she embraces it. Delilah loves scary movies, gore, and anything down right bloody, so when she meets House, she thrives, she’s excited, until she says the wrong thing.

“She was like a firecracker standing too close to a match: all potential energy, still wrapped up so neatly. He wanted to watch her explode. Hell, he was the match. He wanted to make her explode.” 

The House blends together the horror, suspense, and romance perfectly. I feared the entire time I was reading this how everything was going to play out and I didn’t have hope for much or at least a HEA. I was certainly freaking out a lot myself while reading a couple of chapters, but I feel like they exploited one of my fears. While I thought it was a slow build (or I was just exhausted from working overnights) I did get sucked into the story telling, and I found myself more and more intrigued with the house and how it originated more than the characters (I love you Gavin and Delilah, but you can’t compete with House).

“Delilah was his sun, and he’d smiled more because of her in the last few months than he had in his entire life.”

SO if you’re looking for the perfect spooky October read this book is your go to book. I mean seriously, the cover is spooky enough, just imagine the story behind the cover. Christina Lauren never disappoint with their adult series and have yet to do that with their YA books either, The House is not one you want to miss out on.

Book Review: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

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Until Friday Night
The Field Party #1
Author: Abbi Glines
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Released: August 25th 2015
Review Source: Simon Pulse | Edelweiss

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

Holy cow guys, Until Friday Night was BEAUTIFUL. I won’t lie to you, I was a tad sad when Abbi announced a new YA series. My girl knows how to write those delicious steamy scenes and crazy sexy men and what she writes in The Rosemary Beach series and Sea Breeze series definitely couldn’t be in any YA series. But of course I am a very proud and prominent member of the Abbi Army and I would never let one of her books go unread by me, so when Edelweiss put Until Friday Night up for request I was on that faster than anything. I was definitely kicking myself for that small amount of sadness I had towards Abbi writing a YA series because this book was amazing, I was brought to tears.

So... Until Friday Night follows Maggie and West, two teens who end up meeting in high school after a tragic event brings Maggie to town. Soon they become something more to each other, something they both needed but didn’t know where to look, didn’t know how to accept it once it was there. This book was heartbreaking from the very beginning. Abbi sat there playing with our heartstrings over and over again and it became something utterly beautiful. Though there were times I definitely questioned if I was actually going to like West or not, but I sat there and thought “people deal with pain in different ways how can I judge this fictional characters actions when I don’t know how I would react in that kind of pain.” If you find a way to escape your pain, you really don’t care who it hurts, as long as you’re not hurting any more, or just not hurting for a little bit. So after I had those thoughts flowing through my subconscious, and I got further into the book and everyone’s true self and secrets were exposed my heart hurt for these two, I cried at their happiness and I cried at their suffering. I was there with them, I felt what they were feeling and that’s because Abbi can get me so wrapped up in her books they’re all I can see. And then it’s 4:00 am and I realize my alarm is about to go off in two hours and I know I’m screwed for the day, but it was all worth it.

Basically all I’m telling you to do is read this, and if you were anything like me and had a small amount of reservations about YA coming from Abbi, don’t. It was more, it was beautiful, and it is definitely something you’ll want to pick up. Bring the tissues!

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I now have also read Until Friday Night and was moved by it just like Shannon was. I am a huge fan of Abbi since I first cracked open the pages of The Vincent Boys series. This book was amazing and touching and come on it has football. Can't go wrong with that, it is football season and time for Friday Night Lights. Like Shannon said you just have to go grab yourself a copy, we highly recommend it!!!

Book Review: Taming Lily by Monica Murphy

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Taming Lily
The Fowler Sisters #3
Author: Monica Murphy
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: July 7th 2015
Review Source: Bantan | Edelweiss

I’m in trouble. Again. And instead of facing my problems head on, I’ve run away. Far away this time, and no one can catch me—not my two younger sisters, Violet and Rose, not my father, my grandmother, or that witch Pilar who wants to take control of my family’s cosmetics company. Now I’m in Hawaii, enjoying the sun and the sand and water, where nobody knows the hot mess known as Lily Fowler. And I’m loving every minute of it.

But someone is watching me. Following me. He’s gorgeous. And soon we’re talking, and against all my instincts, I reveal bits and pieces of myself to Max. It feels good, though I know he can’t be the man for me. These sudden feelings we share are way too complicated, too fraught, too intense.

Then everything explodes and I’m forced to return home. My intentions have always been true, but now everyone’s mad at me. I don’t know who to turn to anymore . . . except to Max. He’s who I want to trust. But I’m not so sure I should. Maybe it’s worth the risk—and what-ifs be damned. . . .

** This is an Adult romance novel recommended for ages 18+ due to sexual content and mature subject matter.**

Cover:
I’ve loved all the covers from the Fowler Sister Series. I definitely cannot wait until I have all three on my shelf together. You can even tell by the cover how much of a dominating personality Lily has.

Action:
HELLO! The action in this book was off the CHARTS (as in sexy time action). Max and Lily’s sexy time was definitely the best out of all three of these books. Man Monica Murphy, my fingers were feeling the heat radiating off the pages while reading these two.

Romance:
With intimacy aside, I kind of felt that there wasn’t much romance. Max and Lily both tried to keep their new sexual relationship just that, sexual. So any time one wanted to try and break a little wall down the other got defensive or downright rude, so I wasn’t feeling the romance between the two, the heat definitely though.

Something I loved:
I loved part of the ending that I obviously I won’t divulge because hello spoilers, but definitely satisfying moment after reading the three books.  And seriously the action in this book, off the charts.

Favorite Quote:
“It’s the way he believes in me. Encourages me. Supports me when I need it and steps back when my freedom is necessary.”

Book Review: Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

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Between the Notes
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: June 16th 2015
Review Source: HarperCollins | Edelweiss

When Ivy Emerson’s family loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what’s to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single, terrifying performances. It’s her life.

And it isn’t pretty.

Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own—seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there is no way to stop them.

As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including herself.

I was attracted to this novel because one of my all time favourite series includes a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and that just automatically compelled me to read this. Even though I was drawn to this story because of its familiarity, it was very different from what I usually read and from what I expected.

Ivy and her family loose everything and suddenly they can't afford their glorious house and everything in it. Ivy, like her siblings and parents, are forced to part with some of their most prized possessions and move to Lakeside. If it were only that simple. Lakeside has the reputation of being the "wrong side of the tracks", and Ivy suddenly finds herself hiding her new life from all of her friends, the cute new guy and the tension between herself and her family builds.

It was rewarding to read how of how girl can go from living the life of luxuries to having the bare minimal in life. She went from one side of the pole to the other in the blink of an eye, and though it was a hard adjustment period, in the end she became a much better person. She began to appreciate life and what she had. The little things like "don't judge a person by it's cover" and learning to discover the best version of yourself-- Ivy did that. She ditched the dead weight, appreciated her family, and invited new people into her life.

It's quite different from what I usually read but I don't regret reading it. It might just be one of my favourite reads of the year. And it's a book I won't forget. I feel motivated now to read more books like this, ones which are more than the romance, but more about personal discovery. Trust me, they'll give you a story to enjoy.

Book Review: The Cage by Megan Shepherd

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The Cage
Author: Megan Shepherd
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy | Science Fiction
Release Date: May 26th 2015
Review Source: HarperCollins Children | Edelweiss

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy.

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

Straight away I knew this was a book I was going to enjoy. The summary, especially this part: "As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone." hooked me. One town with such a diverse mix of environments. How on earth does that work? Aliens, that's how.

It's been so long since I read something with aliens in. Like, I'm quite ashamed with myself that it's been so long that I've allowed myself to go this long without a healthy dose of extra-terrestrial creatures. Though the aliens weren't the primary characters (well, if you exclude Cassian) they really added to the story. Including Cassian, I had a wee crush on him. Which feels weird admitting considering he's an alien, but I don't care. I loved him.

Now on to the none-alienated living creatures. The humans. Five individual people who were kidnapped and placed in a human zoo. At first, at the 'human zoo' part I didn't know whether to just stare wide eyed at my kindle or actually say a string of confused words. The interactions between the five was....interesting. And by interesting I mean unpredictable. The selected few couldn't have been more different from one another. From their backgrounds to personalities, each individual was very different. It's very noticeable, too. They clash, they don't get along, and I bet the pressure of being caged in what they think is like a human zoo doesn't help either. At one point, they almost live up to being creatures in a zoo. Turning against each other and almost acting like savages, whilst Cora, being the defenceless one, runs for her life to avoid the others.

Going into this book I did expect more action, but it was more mellow than expected. The plot was unhurried, which was a much needed change from all the fast paced novels. The more we got towards the end, the more things kept kicking up a notch. The anticipation started to build then exploded with a ciffhanger at the end. A ciffhanger I totally didn't expect. I have a feeling book two is going to be more active, but that's just a guess on my part.

But back to the plot. Personally, I loved the connection Cora and Cassian had. Despite that he's an alien; I didn't find it weird or strange at all. Throughout the novel we don't find nearly enough out about the species, the main piece of information being that they're the most advantaged and intelligent species around. I didn't pout for more information on them, was content with what we were given. I didn't want an information overload. There's book two for that!