Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 384
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Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life—and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Before I start this review, I'd like to say that this book totally brought me out of my slump. I'd gone so long without picking up a book that could keep my interest long enough for me to finish. However, when I started this book, I found myself making time to read it. I would lock myself in my room and not leave until I was content with a stopping point. So, thank you, Sarah Ockler for your entertaining books!

So basically this book begins with the main character recalling a moment that changed her life drastically: the finding of a cheetah bra. It's not hers, it's not her mother's, so who does it belong to? Unfortunately, she knows who it belongs to. It's a unmentioned secret the family can't force under the table anymore. Her father is having an affair, and her mother can't deny it any longer. The book opens with this event because it changes Hudson's, the main character, life drastically. For one, her fathers moves out and her parents get divorced. With her father away, the diner that belongs to Hudson's mother is slowly running down to the ground. And, perhaps most significant is the fact that Hudson no longer skates. It was a dream she had followed since she was young, and she threw it away when she purposely messed up during a big competition to get her parent's attention.

Fast forward a couple years, and you'll find Hudson spending the majority of her time at her mom's diner. And, she actually enjoys it at first, because of what she does there. Cupcakes. She bakes cupcakes now, and she's really good at it. However, her enjoyment of working there soon fades away when her mother asks her to take on another role: a waitress. Not only is she very clumsy, but she also doesn't appreciate older men leering at her while she works. She knows her mom needs her help though, so she agrees to the job. All at once it seems, her life is becoming a clustered chaos, and not just because of her new job.

Around this time, Hudson gets a letter in the mail. Her old skating coach has died and all of her teacher's skating students are being asked to join a competition for a scholarship. Hudson knows  more than anything that she wants to get out of this town, but she hasn't skated since that day she threw it all away. Needless to say, she's very rusty. After a lot of thinking, she makes the decision to try for it anyway; however, she keeps this piece of information from her mother, which makes her life an even more complicated mess, because she has to focus on how she can practice without her mother getting suspicious. Enter: her school hockey team, a cute boy, and an opportunity.

By chance, Hudson runs into (quite literally) Josh, a cute hockey player, who says the hockey team could use some help on technique if she's interested in helping. After some contemplating, she takes up the opportunity and now has so much on her plate: practicing ice skating, teaching the barbaric hockey team some new tricks, keeping her mother satisfied, and she has to be able to watch her adorable little brother all at the same time. Let's just say she's very busy these days.

As you can tell, there are a lot of plot lines here, and one could easily lose their way while trying to fit the whole story in together, but Ockler does an amazing job at keeping the story moving and everything flowing well. Not only that, each character is developed well, and I find that Hudson is character that I really like. For one, she is able to juggle everything while still keeping a smile on her face, most of the time anyway, and she doesn't let anything bring her down for long. She's strong, and that plays a major role in the decision she makes at the end of the book. (Not going to tell you what it is! You're going to have to read this yourself to find out.)

This is the second book I've read by Sarah Ockler, the first being Twenty Boy Summer, and I find myself liking this book more, because it's more memorable and I feel that she's improved in her writing. I really recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read, AND anyone looking for some yummy cupcake recipes along the way. Why, you ask? Because each chapter starts with a delicious cupcake idea.

As a reader, I found Bittersweet very likable and it was very easy to lose myself in the entertaining world Sarah Ockler created. Don't think that this book is a cookie-cutter-girls-meets-boy teenage novel, because it's not. I can't stand those, and I really liked this! Go out and read this book, because you won't regret it.

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Deadly Little Voices by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Deadly Little Voices by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 352
Overall: 

Camelia Hammond thought her powers of psychometry gave her only the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she has started to hear voices. Cruel voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, that she has no talent, and that she'd be better off dead. Camelia is terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt, who has a suicidal history, has just moved into the house. As if all of that weren't torturing enough, Camelia's ex-boyfriend, Ben, for whom she still harbors feelings and who has similar psychometric abilities, has started seeing someone else. Even her closest friends, Kimmie and Wes, are not sure how to handle her erratic behavior.

With the line between reality and dream consistently blurred, Camelia turns to pottery to get a grip on her emotions. She begins sculpting a figure skater, only to receive frightening premonitions that someone's in danger. But who is the intended victim? And how can Camelia help that person when she is on the brink of losing her own sanity?

Deadly Little Voices is the fourth book in the Touch Series by Laurie Faria Stolarz, and just as I expected, it did not disappoint! I purchased and finished the book in a couple of hours! When that happens, you know it's a good read. I could never recommend this series enough to friends and fellow reviewers. If you haven't had the pleasure of picking up the first in this series and reading it, then what are you waiting for? You won't be disappointed.

Camelia, the main character throughout the series, has a special ability--one that has put her in dangerous situations on more than one occasion. This so-called ability is known as psychometry, or the ability to sense the future through the touch. She is an avid sculptor and it's through her works of art that she sees clues to the future. In this book, she starts to create things that lead her to believe a girl from her school is in trouble. As if trying to convince this girl that she's in trouble isn't enough, Camelia is also hearing voices that degrade her so harshly, and she's seeing things that aren't there.

She finds herself wondering constantly if she's going crazy like her aunt--who just so happened to move in with her family. At times like these, she falls back on her support system: her two friends: Kimmie and Wes. If things were different, she'd also look to her main love interest, Ben, for help as well, but because of things that happened in the last book, the two aren't exactly on speaking terms. Enter: Adam. (Actually, Adam was introduced as a new character in the last book, but I'm just catching any of you who haven't read the series up to date without spoiling anything!) He's another love interest of Camelia's and he's always there for her. He should be the guy she wants more than anything, but her thoughts keep going back to Ben, especially when he seems to know something she doesn't.

Whoa, did this book throw a fast one on me. I really like Stolarz's books for that reason. She likes to write in a little mystery into each book of the Touch series, and the outcome always ends up being something I didn't expect. The ending has such a twist, and we get to read something about Ben (who I'm rooting for by the way) that helps give more understanding to his complex character. I wish he was in this book more. He's probably my favorite character, because what girl doesn't love a girl with a little mystery?

I'm really excited for the next book. It's too bad that this one only came out this month! Now I'll probably have to wait another year! Definitely worth it, though.

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Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Release Date: April 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages: 208
Overall: 


Where She Went is the perfect read, filled with romance, emotion, and music. Gayle Forman's book, the sequel to the highly praised If I Stay, is much more than a mass marketed teen love story and will lure you in immediately with it's angsty point of view and suspense of what'll come to be with the two characters in the end.

The sequel begins a while after the last one left off. In the first book of the series, Mia and Adam, the two main characters, are in a hospital. Mia, after being in a coma, wakes up to a promise. A promise Adam swore he'd keep if she lived. And she did. But it might not have been for the better, because in the period of time skipped between the two books, Mia has gone off to Juilliard and Adam is about to tour the world with his uprising band. The two have gone their separate ways with no real reason.

If I Stay was told from Mia's point of view, however Where She Went is told from Adam's perspective. I usually hate it when authors feel the need to switch point of views between books, but in this case, it was a crazy good idea! It gave insight as to how Adam was feeling, and helped develop a connection to is character. It brought depth and real, raw emotion to the story and showed the characters as realistically as possible.

Right from the beginning of the novel, you can tell Adam has his issues with how he's living his life. It seems like he's living for other people, not for himself. He doesn't show his true feelings, pulls himself away from others, and surprisingly doesn't want the rock star life he's been given. And there's a reason for all of this: Mia. He's distraught from her pulling away from him with no explanation. Though he'd pushed those feelings away in the back of his mind, she still lingers and is the true reason behind all of his troubles. But then she enters his life again spontaneously, and all is thrown into a bundle of chaos. With this once in a lifetime chance, the two spend the night together in New York talking, exploring Mia's favorite secret locations, and even, yes, reconnecting. And thank god their reunion was plausible! I can't tell you how many books I've read where the characters see each other again and boom, they're back together, nothing is awkward and all negative feelings vanish. This book wasn't anything like that. Like I said before, it was realistic! And I enjoyed every sentence of it.

Where She Went is a wonderful and appealing novel written by a talented author. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the series to anyone looking for a fresh, and realistic read. I'll definitely be reading this one again. In fact, I'm thinking about skimming through my favorite parts right after I finish this!

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Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Well, since I was on vacation over Christmas break, I had NO TIME to read AT ALL! It was horrid. You have no idea how boring it was without my books. So, to make up for it, here is a review of the next book in the Evernight Series.

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Release Date: March 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
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So many things happen in this book, it's almost hard to keep up! The twists and turns are intense and make you want to jump up and down some times. The changes in this book assure that there will be some very big problems in the next book, and the cliff hanger you're left with will make you want to get your hands on Afterlife as fast as you can.

What I love about this book is that it surprised me. I wasn't expecting the events of Bianca and Lucas' lives to unravel the way that it did. Claudia Gray pulled a fast one on me, and I'm happy she did! Usually it's easy to predict where the author is going to take the story next, and with this one, I was completely wrong. So, be prepared for a big twist (or twists) at the end.

The romance was still there of course, and I felt it was what held the story, and the characters, together. If the romance was excluded, I don't think Bianca and Lucas would be able to keep going as they did. The both of them would even say thay were doing what they were doing for...love. And disappointingly, in this book, I didn't feel like their romance was as strong as it was in the previous books, but maybe it was just me.

Another thing that I didn't like was that the story seemed disjointed and chunky in some parts. Like, a part in the story, or a scene, wouldn't end smoothly, and the next would start too suddenly. Parts just didn't fit. Also, it seemed that every moment, something tragic was happening. I mean, I can handle one big twist at the end, but two or three? It gets to be too much after a while. Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to ignore the things that were bugging me, and replace them with the exciting aspects because I really like this series, and I really liked this book as well.

Astonishing, suspenseful, and creative, Hourglass will shock you. It has definitely surpassed anything I've read by Claudia Gray. The ending of the third book in the series will leave you gasping for more. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Afterlife.

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A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Release Date: February 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288
Overall:

When a mandatory course forces Fiona to “try the knot” with super-jock Todd Harding, she’s convinced life could not possibly get any worse. Until moments later, when her long-time crush is paired with her arch-enemy (otherwise known as Todd’s obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that’s nothing compared to her best friend’s fate – a year with the very shy, very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.

A series of hilarious pranks and misunderstandings leave Fiona wondering: is there something her supposed “best friend” hasn’t told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than a deep voice and an awesome music collection? And perhaps most intriguing of all, is it possible that Todd Harding could actually have a heart – and a brain – beneath his pretty-boy exterior?

Who knows what might happen once you begin a match made in high school…

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was easy to read, and moved at a fast pace. Before I knew it, I was half way through the book enjoying every word. A Match Made in High School is an easily likable book, it'll make you laugh numerous times and keep you interested until the end.

Fiona, the main character, has a huge crush on Gabe. She's liked him since they were little and he showed her an act of kindness, but what she doesn't seem to realize is that people change. The book begins with Fiona getting up for her first day of her senior year. Everything starts on a bad note, until of course, she crosses paths with Gabe and vows to touch him at least once this year. But that doesn't go too well, because the school day starts with an assembly, and during that assembly, she learns that in order to pass every senior must be married to another during the whole year. Fiona is paired with Todd Harding, a stuck-up popular boy, while Gabe is paired with Todd's girlfriend, Amanda, who just so happens to be a cheerleader.

Along with that, while Fiona is trying to survive her senior year, her best friend, Marcie, is changing back and forth before her eyes. Plus, Johnny, the guy her best friend is "married" to is starting to have eyes for her. Man, there were so many juicy things in this book! I couldn't help but adore it! But while the book was enjoyable, there were some downfalls. First off, I was completely confused by Fiona and Todd's relationship. They never really seemed to like each other, but it was hinted that they did, which was odd. Another thing was that Fiona didn't have romantic feelings toward Johnny until the end and she changed her mind so quickly that it wasn't believable.

So many amusing things went on in this novel. The witty banter, and war of pranks between Fiona and Todd were hilarious. While the novel was initially light-hearted, deeper occurrences went on and tugged at my heart repeatedly. A Match Made in Heaven was a cute novel, and many teens will love it.

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The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: March 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 336
Overall:

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind...and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during her junior year, she also has a sudden inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best frined since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town...and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Filled with suspense, a gripping romance, and deadly consequences, The Body Finder is an impressive debut novel that's impossible to put down.

Violet, the main character, has a spectacular ability. She can sense death, whether it be a certain taste in her mouth or an aura that only she can see. This plays an important role in the novel, because now she must use her special ability to help catch a killer that preys on young teenage girls. But when it gets dangerous, the people around her are reluctant to let her get involved, especially when the killer might be after her as well. Oh, the suspense! I loved this aspect of the book. The Body Finder not only was intruiging, but was also engaging. I did not want to put this book down until I knew who the killer was!

Throughout The Body Finder, I felt sympathetic for Violet, because not only does she have to deal with the complications and frights of having to help catch a predator, but she also has to deal with what almost every other girl has to: a love interest. She has developed feelings for her best friend, Jay, who has seemed to attract the attention of every other girl in school since his summer transformation. And, I must say, I loved this! In my opinion, nothing is better than a friendship developing into love. I just melt thinking about it.

The only thing that slightly annoyed me was how Violet acted at times. Even thought she knew she was in danger, she acted carelessly. It made me want to yell something about common sense at her, because I don't think she had much. She would have had a lot less issues if she thought out her actions.

With that minor negative pushed aside, this book was something else! I was surprised at how much I was enveloped in it. The Body Finder is a thrilling romance that will appeal to almost anyone!

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Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Release Date: September 2009
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 288
Overall:

I'm marooned.
Abandoned.
Left to rot in boarding school . . .

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.

Ick.

There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.

Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.

But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

Viola is a fourteen-year-old with a passion for film. She believes that she gets it from her parents, who are currently in Afghanistan filming themselves. So, in the meantime, she is dropped off at an academy that her mom attended when she was younger. As you can guess, she hates it, but not after long, she doesn't find it to be so aggravating.

As the story develops Viola begins to find her place at Prefect Academy, and realizes that there is more out there than just the busy streets of New York. When she finally stops fighting to get back home, she starts enjoying her year at the academy. She and her roomates become great friends, and she even gets her first boyfriend! But, even though her life at the academy starts looking up, she still has a dilemma. Her best guy friend from home is acting weird, and all of the sudden, she thinks she's seeing a ghost! As you can tell, this story is not too far from being realistic, and I enjoyed the truth of it. I could really imagine a fourteen year old girl living Viola's life at a boarding school. It was great to read.

The only thing that bothered me was that her best friend, Andrew, wasn't in the story as much, but of course, he was on the other side of the country. Hopefully there will be a next book so their friendship can blossom into something more, because that's the kind of vibe I got from this book.

Viola in Reel Life is an entertaining read. A lot of teens will enjoy it because they can relate to the issues she is going through. I can't wait for more from the author!

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Shadowland by Alyson Noel

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

Release Date: 11/17/09
Publishers: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 339
Overall:

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world's darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just as their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen...one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into a bleak afterlife in the Shadowland, an eternal abyss for lost souls. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source...Jude Knight.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She's always believed Damen to be her soul mate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them from the darkness inhabiting his soul, Ever's connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before...

In Shadowland, Ever is in a tough spot. She can't do what she wants to do most. She can't kiss her beautiful soulmate Damen, or even touch him for that matter, in the fear of their DNA mixing. Because if that were to ever happen, he would die, despite him being immortal. And leaving Ever alone is what he wants to prevent from happening.

While I thought the book was going to be fully about Ever and Damen trying to find the cure to their problem, it wasn't, because there were so many more things occuring. Things that took too much attention away from the both of them, making it ever harder to focus on the fact that they can't touch each other without clothing or energy between them. Like the twins for instance. Due to special circumstances, they must now live with Damen for an unknown amount of time. Or Ever's new job, the one that her aunt told her she needed to have. Or her young, green-eyed boss, Jude, someone she feels connected to even though they've just met. Their biggest threat, though, is Roman, the very reason they can't be truly together.

So many twists and turns were in Shadowland, and I almost couldn't keep up! I have never been more unexpectedly surprised by an author. Noel knows exactly how to keep me enthralled in her books. I can only imagine what she has instore for Dark Flame, the next in the series.

Shadowland is purely mesmerizing. A book with a little bit of everything in it— romance, suspense, friendship, and immortality—all meshed together to create a mind-blowing combination. Only the next book in the series will satisfy my need to know what will happen next. I simply cannot wait!

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