Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Get this, I'm supposed to be starting a journal about "my journey." Please. I can see it now: Dear Diary, As I'm set adrift on this crazy sea called "life" . . . I don't think so.
It's been seventy-five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her.
And she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone now, and she doesn't want to talk about it. They wouldn't get it, anyway. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to have your best friend ripped away from you.
They wouldn't understand what it feels like to know it's your fault.
Amy's shrink thinks it would help to start a diary. Instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia.
But as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past wasn't as perfect as she thought it was—and the present deserves a chance too.

Elizabeth Scott, as I've said before, is one of my favorite authors. She always manages to write her novels so beautifully and emotionally that they feel real. Every novel I've read by Elizabeth has been amazingly done, and Love You Hate You Miss You is just as alluring as the rest.

Julia is the one Amy has lost. Julia used to be Amy's best friend, until she died. And now, after coping with the pain through therapy and rehab, she's back home and attending school like normal kids do, like she used to do. Only everything's different now. Everything reminds her of Julia: going to the mall, seeing her locker in the hallway, old friends.

One thing that's supposed to help is writing in a journal that was given to her at Pinewood -- the rehabilitation community she lived at. Only, she doesn't write about her "journey" as she calls it. Instead, she writes letters to Julia about how life is without her and how she wishes things were different.

I normally wouldn't read a book like this, as it seems a little depressing, but it's by Elizabeth Scott, so I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. The story was absorbing and easy to grasp.

Love You Hate You Miss You is a riveting novel that correctly displays how difficult and painful it is to lose someone you love. Another great read from Elizabeth.

Ratings:

Writing: 4/5
Story: 3/5
Character: 3/5
Cover: 5/5

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."

"Okay."

"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"

"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

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According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

Twenty Boy Summer is a great summer read, but could be read any other time of the year! The novel tugged on my heart repeatedly and it's amazing when books do that, it shows that the author has a lot of skill with writing about emotions. And I do believe that Sarah Ockler has that skill, along with many others that are only proven after reading Twenty Boy Summer.

The overall feeling that Twenty Boy Summer gives off is just amazing! While at some moments, the novel was sad and depressing that your heart immediately goes to Anna, the main character, and at others it's just so fun and exciting that you wish you were there! In a market full of summer romances and experiencing new things, this one stands out, whether it's because of the writing or the overall affect the book has.

The romance was a main key point in the novel and played its role perfectly, I was never bored with it and always wanted to read on. The tragic event that stays on Anna's mind is unique and interesting. I never imagined being in her position and it was wonderful to read her thoughts.

I have only positive feelings towards this book and I'm certain I'll be reading it again soon. Sarah Ockler has done a marvelous job with this one.

Ratings:

Writing: 3.5/5
Story: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Cover: 3/5

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls.
"Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
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Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend's restless spirit.In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

Wintergirls is a haunting tale of a girl and her struggles with her body, her family, and the death of her ex-best friend.

The writing is remarkable; its style is catchy and adds to the raw feeling that come from Lia's thoughts. The story was very realistic and believable, it felt like I was reading the journal of a real girl who was in between life and death.

At some points Lia's pain really got to me, I wondered why should would hurt herself. But then I realized that she inflicted pain on herself because that was her own way of coping and trying and failing to get rid of the images of dead Cassie. And that she punishes her body by destroying it when her hunger overpowers her mind.

By far, this is the most alive and haunting novel I have ever read, it is powerful. Wintergirls is true, raw, and definitely a book that will stay with me and any of its readers. I highly recommend it.

Ratings:

Writing: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Character: 4/5
Cover: 4.5/5

Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills

Hailey Abbott's Summer Boys takes a weepy turn in this story of one girl's attempt to tell her childhood friend how she really feels about him.

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Alex thought she'd be spending the summer focused on her family's rafting business, burying the memories of her father's death last year, and leaving behind all the messes she made in its wake.

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But when Sean returns to town, she is forced to reckon with her mixed-up crushy feelings for him-more powerful than ever before. It takes another tragedy to make Alex realize Sean has loved her, and forgiven her, all along.

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I was really hyped about reading Heartbreak River, after surfing the net and reading some reviews I thought it'd be the perfect book for the time being. The synopsis intrigued me and caught my interest, so I started reading it. The novel started off a little slow, but then got into what I wanted to read about and everything excelled from that point on.

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First off, I'd like to say that Heartbreak River was a beautiful and creative story. The main character, Alex, has lost almost everything she's loved to the river at which she schedules rafting to. And it seems, as we enter her mind, that she blames herself for everything that has gone wrong.

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And then there's Sean. He's one of the ones she's lost to the river. She blamed her father's death on him and immediately regretted it, knowing she was wrong and thinking she was selfish. And when he shows up to resume his job during the summer at Alex's family rafting business, Alex wishes that things were different, and that she could summon up the courage to confess her true feelings.

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Don't get confused, though. Heartbreak River is not fully about Alex and Sean's relationship mending itself. It also focuses on Alex's family members, and how they act after her father's sudden death, and Alex's irrational insecurities.

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Heartbreak River was a wake up call to me. A message that seemed to flow through the pages and out during certain parts was: Live life to the fullest, because you might not have a lot of time left. Heartbreak River was a wonderful read and I look forward to more from Tricia Mills.

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Ratings:

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Writing: 4/5

Story: 4.5/5

Characters: 4/5

Cover: 5/5

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

As promised, here is the review to Gayle Forman's If I Stay.

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.

When I first picked this up, I was a little disappointed at the size, worried that parts of the novel would be rushed or details might be left out, but it was the complete opposite. Everything was explained thoroughly and I was never confused at something, or left wondering what happened.

Originality was shown superbly throughout the novel and in the plot line itself. The writing was fantastic and easy to understand. I never wanted to put the book down. And I never once got bored like I do while reading sometimes.

While Mia is experiencing an outside body experience she contemplates on whether to wake up or not after a kind nurse tells her grandparents that it is her choice, if she stays or if she goes. And just when she's ready to let go, to join her family on the other side, a problem presents itself. Someone needs her and begs her not to let go.

Mia's decision is made at the end when she realizes something. And even though I was happy to see it end the way it did, I felt like there could have been more. Maybe an elaboration on her music situation, or her relationship with Adam. But maybe that's what Gayle Forman wanted to do, allow the readers to predict their own endings. Either way, I was happy with the ending, but felt that maybe there could have been more.

After reading this, I'm sure that there couldn't have been a better title. If I Stay was just perfect. And it was a great read, it'll definitely be on my mind for a while.

Ratings:

Writing: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 4/5