Review: Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser

Book and ARC reviews are posted under this feature!

Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser

*Digital ARC was received from HarperCollins UK through Netgalley*

Genre: Adult Fiction
Pub. Date: Feb 2, 2016

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

It surprised me that it took me so long to write down this review when I’ve finished reading the ARC a few weeks ago and had quite interesting reaction upon finishing it.

I walked into this book thinking that it might not meet my cup of tea despite my attempt to request its ARC on the first place. But the mention of a lost baby and a girl who seems to live longer than her age pulled me to a stop… and I knew that I couldn’t skip this one.

I never considered myself as a reader who would enjoy dark and suspense read. So I was literally having a hard time reading this book at first. It didn’t help that not only this book was so intense; it also brought such disturbing topics like drugs and alcohol addiction and murders. Reading this was so out of my comfort zone but I could somehow bear it because of the characters of the aforementioned girl and baby.

Percy James was only sixteen but we could see how life had shaped her into a much older and wiser person than her years living in the world. For the nth time, Percy had to go out to find her mother who’s disappeared along with her booze addiction. It was snowing and probably going to be a bad storm soon but Percy had no other choice but to keep looking for her mom. It’s like a dead-end circle with her mom’s situation. Percy loved her mom, so deeply she could never forget the good times they used to have together when her mom was still fine. But lately things only got worse, moreover when her sister went to live her new life with their little happy family across the state, leaving Percy to take care of her alcoholic mother. Percy was a good girl; so good that she often lied to her sister that their mother was okay, that everything was as fine as a sunny weather. But it’s actually a snowstorm in Michigan; even a worse one in Percy’s household.

The first time Percy met Jenna, the baby was practically halfway to be buried by the snow blowing from the open window in Shelton Potter’s cabin. It’s like a fate. When Percy went there to find her mom (who last she checked with the neighbor, was on a drunk fight with Shelton), she found Jenna instead. The poor freezing baby seemed to alter her priority as its innocent grip brought Percy to her determination to get the baby out of the hell place. Looking at Jenna neglected in the middle of meth-house with no responsible adult to take care of her, tugged a string inside Percy’s heart. The baby was so much like her. Yet again she’s much older than Jenna when her mother had gotten to her worse condition and left her to fend for herself. Suddenly, Jenna became her priority. Even if saving Jenna meant she had the drugged-angry Shelton and his bunch of criminal friends hot on her heels. Even if saving Jenna made her fight her own beloved bad mother.

I felt so much emotion being played while reading this book. It was quite bothering that I had to see half of scenes on the book from Shelton’s perspective. Yet at the same time I was impressed by Mulhauser’s ability to write that perspective with such details. It was oddly fun and certainly dark but it was also quite heart-breaking when Shelton’s actual feeling sometimes was shown during one of his many weak moments. It surprised me that even in the end I felt a piece of my heart had gone along with Shelton’s character.

Seeing things from Percy’s perspective meanwhile was quite an experience. We could literally see her love for Jenna growing stronger. Her struggle, her hopelessness, her determination, and her faith for Jenna’s better future were all pictured in rich details for us to witness. I felt my love for Percy and Jenna grew as well. The appearance of Portis Dale as Percy’s hopeless savior just added another color to their tragically desperate yet endearing journey of escape. Portis was this skeptical figure who’s as close to a family Percy ever had in her life besides her mother and sister. I found it quite amusing how Portis kinda wanted to just leave Jenna behind because he was worried of Percy’s safety yet with Percy’s persistence (or really just stubborn) to keep Jenna, he let Percy had her way. Their banter often sounded intensely scary to others but we could hear in Portis’s harsh tone how much he cared for Percy and how much Percy needed a father figure in him. Completed with Mulhauser’s extremely detailed description of cold weather in Michigan, Sweetgirl would make you curl under your blanket in your reading couch, with heartbeat running and tears ready to flow any moment.

In the end, I had to give in with my emotion as I put aside my Kindle and hid my tears for the world to see. The tears were mixed of happy ones and sad ones but I’d like it to be a happy one because I knew that what the author decided to write in the end was for the best for all. God, even now when I re-read that last chapter I am tearing up again like a newborn baby I am. The author did write such beautifully heartwarming (with little heartbreaking-spice) ending to such a heavy read. It felt like Mulhauser did not just close the curtain after the show but also wipe the stage and cleaned the aisle from the tissues being left behind by people. It was a very neat ending; near perfect even.

I would like to recommend this book to just everyone who loves to read. Even me who prefers to read sweet, light reads than the heavy ones, Sweetgirl just made an exception for me.

‘I’m the one who found her,…. But I’m not the same person I was before. I am different now because of Jenna and Portis Dale and I believe we all tried to save each other in that storm and that mostly we did.’ ―chapter XXIII

Read More

Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

Book and ARC reviews are posted under this feature!

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy



*Digital ARC was received from Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley*

Genre: YA (Contemporary)
Pub. Date: March 1, 2016

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Having a quite long break from reading in the past two months, I didn’t really have any particular expectation from the book that I picked up as my comeback. All I wanted was just picking up a book and taking my mind away to an exciting mental journey I hadn’t had lately. Thus I dove into You Were Here without reading any reviews about it, nor its blurb.

Starting out, the story was presented for the first time through Jaycee’s perspective. I was instantly drawn to her character fast because of the way Cori described Jaycee’s wrecked emotion so painfully beautiful. I felt like I was ‘forced’ to feel along with her and strangely I didn’t even mind it. Even before knowing the complete story of the tragedy, I could feel that it would be something unusually tragic looking from the way Jaycee’s grief seemed so intense. I liked that Cori didn’t withhold the truth for too long and how casually the source of grief was thrown into the first chapter. It broke my heart yet I sensed that Cori didn’t want her readers to drowning in sorrow that fast in the first chapter with the way she played the supposedly depressing character into such person who’s half sarcastic-half peculiar yet oddly amusing that I really enjoyed Jaycee’s voice here.

When the whole pack finally came out, the story just got even better. Not only because of the fact that the book was told from everyone’s (which means all five main characters) perspectives, but also because all of them got their own eccentricities that made me fall in love with all of them in different ways.

Like Jaycee whose sarcasm was over the top when really it was just a mask to cover the broken soul within. How she seemed like a reckless wild teen when she’s really just a lonely girl with no direction to go. Her anger, grief, disappointment, loss feeling all mixed up leading her to the only way she knows how to cope it with: retracing her brother’s steps. Then there’s Natalie, an ex-best friend who complemented Jaycee in such a way no one could. They apparently shared a rough past that seemingly would forever damage their relationship and they couldn’t even stand each other’s present in the same room but their circumstance told us just how reality really is. No relationship in this world, be it between best-friends or lovers, that never hit the bumps. It could be just a little misunderstood but it could also be so bad that people would even grow apart for years before coming back as one. I liked that Jaycee and Natalie could go on and on bantering for hours yet they couldn’t stop caring for each other. I liked that they could call each other an ‘ex-best friend’ yet they still remembered every little details from the good ol’ days and reminisced it together when the memories came rushing out in the middle of them exchanging insults. I loved that Jaycee was so ignorant and Natalie was so uptight and they didn’t need to change themselves in order to befriend each other. And I could go on and on with all these fascinating things about them but I couldn’t ignore the fact that there were also these other three characters that as interesting as the girls.

Zach, Bishop, and Mik were the boys who completed this misfit group of five. Following Jaycee’s morbid adventure was Natalie who was accompanied (half-heartedly) by her boyfriend, Zach, and (fully) by their friend, Bishop. Zach, a teenager with a drinking problem and too much baggage on his plate, was actually a lovely person if you just give him a chance. I didn’t know why but just like how Jaycee’s character pulled something in my heart, his also made me feel want to hug him tight and get mad at him for hurting himself. And there’s Bishop whose words of graffiti were so deeply moving. I liked how he could be so introvert around people sometimes yet he seemed to always be there when his friends needed him.

And Mik…

I loved loved loved Mik! Mikivikious was a character that’s so unique and absolutely mesmerizing. I could count just how many times he talked in the entire book but I swear every time he did, he took my breath away that I fell head over heels again and again for him. I don’t want to reveal much about him except for this saying Jaycee said about him that, well, summed up a little part of him…

“He was still the boy who’d rather bite himself than reveal too much.”

Also I found the dynamic of the relationship between these five teens were so naturally amazing. I loved that nobody’s perfect in this group, I even loved it more that everyone was flawed in the past, and together they embarked on this estrange journey and came out learning the best lesson of how to live a real life.

“What do I know about anything―other than how fast the world can break and how very long it takes to put all the pieces back together.”

Reading this book really played with emotions, while the story is actually about a grief of losing someone you love Cori tried to tell us that sad things were not always depressing if you just tilt your angle toward it a bit. I loved how real the scenes were, the characters, all those places they’ve been in…

I really really enjoyed reading this book. With an insanely good writing, great details, unique characterizations, and oh, those amazing graphic illustrations I almost forgot to mention, You Were Here made an awesome comeback read for me. I recommend those who love John Green’s Looking for Alaska to pick this book up and find yourself addicted with these awesome characters.

Read More

Blog Tour: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald | Review + Sweepstakes Campaign + Giveaway!

Let's Say It's a... Book Event! is a feature where I publish book-related events under. Find everything from blog tours, book spotlights to cover reveals here!

• Title: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
• Author: Katarina Bivald
• Genre: Fiction; Contemporary
• Pub. Date: January 19, 2016 by Sourcebooks Landmark

SYNOPSIS

Once you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen...
Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy's funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don't understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that's almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend's memory. All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town. Reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is a warm, witty book about friendship, stories, and love.

AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY | ADD TO GOODREADS

MY REVIEW

Honestly speaking, I was worried of not enjoying this book ‘cause it’s been a while since I picked up a fiction (could it be Sparks’ The Best of Me which I read last August?). As much as I love contemporary books, I always find myself picking up YA a lot more than fiction or chick-lit ones. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend proved me wrong. If any, this book made a ‘fiction-enjoyer’ side of me blooming again after hiding somewhere for months.

Story line

Book-lover Sara Lindqvist couldn’t be any happier when Amy, her elderly pen-pal, invited her to come to her hometown in Iowa, United States. Broken Wheel was the name of the town Amy had been telling Sara again and again through the letters they’ve been exchanging with from the past two years. Amy’s story made it sound so much like a dream-town for Sara, especially since she hadn’t ever gone out of her hometown of Haninge, Sweden all her life. Befriending three people and an unlimited number of books had always been enough before. But Amy had introduced her to a place across the sea for Sara to escape for a while. And to enjoy it with fellow book-lover? It would be one big step for Sara to come out of her comfort zone and lead a life like any other woman her age do: visit new places, meet new people. Of course, with a company of her long life best-friend, books.

Sara could already imagine how the trip would be: meeting Amy, reading and book-talking with her day and night, meeting everyone in town whose story she already knew from Amy’s letters, walking along Jimmie Coogan street or just doing any other things that Amy promised Sara could do in a quiet and peaceful small town of Broken Wheel.

What Sara didn’t expect was to find a literally broken and dying town with its population had just finished a funeral ceremony of an old lady. No one to visit any longer and practically nothing in town to see, Sara had to bury all the dreams she had in mind about her so-called vacation. But apparently without Amy or any tourist-y spot, Broken Wheel still managed to make Sara keeping her vacation schedule on. In fact, she even wanted to stay longer than her visa let her to.

Book Friendship

Told in third person omniscient POV, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend portrayed every corner of Broken Wheel vastly from various angles. Sara might be the center of the story (a.k.a. the heroine) but Bivald made the others’ story as important as hers. This is because The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is simply a story of how a dying small town starts a friendship with books. Sara represented ‘the books’ while some residents play the role of the town.

Right People, Wrong Place

Each person living in the said town had their own share of sorrows from different past tragedies. There were loss, injustice rights, negative judgment, self-insecurity, bad business, unexpected turn of events, and even unhappy marriage, all contributed to Broken Wheel’s constant dreary aura. Some left the town and never came back, resulting in a lot of empty spaces there, both physically and mentally. Those who stay were barely hanging on with their life. When Sara came, I found it endearing how everyone was curious and excited of the potential tourist. Sara quickly became the town’s shared guest rather than just Amy’s. Turned out Broken Wheel was nothing like its outward appearance. People there might not all have a good life, but they make a good small society together. They had a high tolerance for each other, strong loyalty, and offered most excellent hospitality to newcomer albeit their gloomy streets. Sara’s existence among them only emphasized their hidden charms with the way they eagerly treated her so good.

Bookworm + Sweet Heroine = ♥

Sara, who never really felt such acceptance from others before quickly fell in love with Broken Wheel and its people. Yet as much as she enjoyed their sweet friendliness: complete free of facilities and necessities, Sara couldn’t let these people continue pampering her throughout her stay. Knowing the history of Broken Wheel and people who’d been living in it through Amy’s letters, Sara knew exactly how to repay the town back. Book was definitely the answer and since Amy had lots of them: a bookstore it was. What started as a form of payback―which earned plenty raised eyebrows from the people―eventually became the center that held the town together. Skepticism toward the bookstore slowly shifted into feelings of proud, oddly needing, and even some sense of belonging―just like how Sara felt about the Broken Wheel in return. Sara’s the main character that I’m sure all readers, especially hardcore book lover, could easily relate with. I found myself keep comparing my reading-habits with hers from page to page and got quite a lot similarity between us. I could even relate with her social life, being a book-lover and all. Her determined self and her love of books succeeded in giving the town what they truly needed but never figured out what. Sara’s creativity is also something that attracted me to her character. Her idea of unconventional yet striking shelf title was definitely amazing! If only we have a bookshop assistant like her in our town…

Let’s Move... to Broken Wheel!

I could not not talk about the people of Broken Wheel here. First impression about them I got from the scene of Sara’s arrival might not show anything engaging. But throughout the story, the delineation started to take shape as each resident made an appearance one after another and the story took turns focusing on them. I am personally drawn to George’s character, a fifty-something ex-alcoholic who nursed a deep longing to meet his daughter for years. His loyalness to Sara was really touching. Besides him, the other characters like Caroline, Jen, Grace, Andy, John, and Tom each has different personalities which made their small group even more interesting. The quirkiness of certain characters, the rigidness, the skeptical, and the overtly-worry habit created such unique combination that amusing and heartwarming at the same time. And the best part? These people loved plotting so much! There was this scene when a neighbor town looked condescendingly toward Broken Wheel’s new bookstore and Andy, being an enthusiast he is, plotted a scheme to defend the bookstore which already became part of their town. The plan was simple (rather a disaster, actually, and goodness! I couldn’t stop laughing those entire two chapters…) yet the purpose behind it was really deep. Reading about these people makes me feel like packing up my bags and moving in to Broken Wheel. And this is the feeling that I’m sure would not be solely mine.

Book about Books

I’ve never really read book about books before. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend managed to give me quite an excellent first experience in this. There was a lot of discussion about books ranging from classic to nowadays favorites. I also deeply enjoyed so many agreeable book-related opinions presented here. I love how the author threaded every scene with books, enriching the ‘book-about-books’ quality within, such as when she connected certain moments with analogies to the storyline from some popular books. The way Bivald wrote every part about books gave a clear impression of how much she loved books. There was a paragraph telling sixteen years old Sara broken down on the amount of classics books in the library she visited, worrying she could not read all of them even if she dedicates all her life just for reading. It strangely left me with a really warm feeling. Putting aside the other elements of the book, the scene of young Sara itself already successfully showed that it’s possible for someone to fall so deeply in love with books. It’s kind of beautiful and I, as an avid reader, found it quite magical.

Amy: A Pleasant (nonexistent) Character

Not having a physical appearance within the story didn’t lessen Amy’s role. Bivald built Amy’s character through series of letters she sent to Sara and spread the letters to each fitting chapters making it as if Amy was still there, among the other characters. Amy’s wisdom and passion that was captured on the letters indirectly became the bridge that connects people of Broken Wheel and Sara. And even without ‘meeting’ Amy in person, the readers still got a clear picture of what kind of character she is: an old lady who once, too, made a mistake in life yet found a warm solace through books and good companies.

Final Thought(s)

Despite its predictable ending (and cliché closing words), I felt like finding a warm closure in the end of the book. Some chapters were titled by score marks between ‘books’ and ‘life’ as to present Sara’s preference of books over life. The epilogue terminated the final result in which Bivald showed that both books and life, albeit their different ways, give a similar kind of comfort if being put in good balance. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend might be a book dedicated to books, but the author didn’t forget to slip an essential message that life and all the realities in it could be as good as book. Sara, though she’d been working among books for years, got to learn this important lesson in a town whose people hardly ever touch a book before. It’s kind of ironic yet aptly realistic and even brilliance to put it that way.

To the readers who in need of a good reminder of why they fall in love with books, Katarina Bivald’s The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend provides a pleasant answer in 400 pages of endearing journey of Sara, Broken Wheel town, and books that connect them.

SWEEPSTAKES CAMPAIGN

Independent publisher Sourcebooks announces the “Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore” campaign, which will give grant money to three nominated bookstores. The “Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore Campaign” is inspired by the phenomenal support booksellers have given The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, which was selected as the #1 Indie Next Great Read for January 2016. 

Anyone can nominate their favorite bookstore at:

Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore Sweepstakes

Sourcebooks will award the winning bookstore with a $3,000 prize; two additional bookstores will each receive a $637 prize (the population of Bivald's fictional Broken Wheel, Iowa). In addition to bookstores receiving prizes, weekly giveaways for those who nominate will be held throughout the campaign. Voting began January 4, and runs until February 19, when the winning bookstores will be announced!

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katarina Bivald grew up working part-time in a bookshop. Today she lives in Alta, Sweden, with her sister and as many bookshelves as she can squeeze in. She has still not decided whether she prefers books or people. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is her first novel.

Read More

Review: This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Book and ARC reviews are posted under this feature!

This Song Is (Not) for You by Laura Nowlin
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

*Digital ARC was received from Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley*

Genre: YA (Contemporary)
Pub. Date: January 5, 2016

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

“Have you ever met someone, and you could feel that they were going to be important to you? It’s like you never knew it, but you’ve been waiting your whole life to meet this person…”
The gripping opening line narrated by Ramona above starts this unique story of how in love everything is possible in this latest YA contemporary by Laura Nowlin. Having read her heart-wrenchingly amazing book If He Had Been with Me before, I was beyond excited to pick this up as my closing read last year. Laura wrote a very, very good romance and I was giddy to devour another one from her in this book. She did give me what I expected, but in the most unexpected way.

Synopsis

When Ramona met Sam for the first time on the first day of school, she already knew that Sam would have the name Sam. And it would be the name that she’d etch in heart for years after. It was.

But Sam was her best-friend, like her best-friend with capital best. Ramona knew better than taking the risk of ruining their friendship of years by admitting her feeling to him. They’d been best-friends for too long and been making awesome music together. What else could she want more than that? And it’s not like he felt the same way to her.

Yet he did.

Sam could not not look at Ramona whenever she’s on her element―the drum. And he knew that it’s more than just a casual admiration for her. It’s more. Way more. 

But Ramona was his best-friend. That kind of friend that you’d been way too comfortable with you could care less about keeping image around them. And though she’s the reason he played music, Sam realized that being in a band with Ramona was everything. Together they made a perfect band; but a perfect couple? Cool girl like Ramona would probably tell him from the start if she ever thought of making a perfect couple with him. But she didn’t. 

So she wasn’t, he thought.

Then came Tom to the frame. And like what music did to them, Tom’s appearance made an invisible bridge that connects Ramona and Sam in a way that they could only imagine before. If Sam and Ramona made a perfect band together before; with Tom, they made a stellar one―both as band and best-friends.

The problem? 

Ramona might fall for him, too. While her love for Sam didn’t lessen one bit.

Unique Romance

This Song Is (Not) For You is a unique story of teenagers of three who got tangled in love and friendship. In this book, Laura Nowlin brings up a quite fresh concept of love between three friends without necessarily messing it up into a sickening love triangle. While some people might find this concept odd and slightly inept, I’m sure more people would say it’s something possible and even think of it as sweet arrangement because Laura did a great job building the romance between each character. I, personally, still did not know where my opinion stands about this kind notion of romance in this book. I somehow still couldn’t get my mind around it since I’m a firm believer of love as an exclusive tie between two hearts. But part of me honestly thought that This Song Is (Not) For You has a really well-written romance and friendship.

Amazing Characterizations

Told in three different perspectives, this book clearly shows that each character, the three of them, all play the same important roles to the story. Ramona is a quirky girl with deep passion in music. She plays drum and piano, and she loves both instruments equally. What are the odds though that she would love people in the same way she did her music? When usually I feel weird of people who could love more than one person at the same time, Ramona’s character didn’t bother me when she did exactly that. The feeling she had for Sam was built very deeply that we could feel it stays strong even when she grew another one for Tom.

Sam is probably my most favorite character of all. He’s pretty cool with his feeling I might say. That he loved Ramona, yet didn’t want to say it in case it’d ruin their friendship. But when another man came to the picture, he didn’t do some alpha-male drama boys usually do in romance book to claim Ramona as his considering he’d known her first and longer. He’s clear with his own wants. Yes he played music because of Ramona. But he wasn’t blind of the fact that music isn’t everything he wants to do in life. So he pursued his own passion while enjoyed making music with his best-friends. I liked that about him a lot. His non-judgmental personality is really sweet and that’s the very thing that made me love him the most. The way he let Ramona did things her way sometimes, the way he accepted Tom to the group, the way his opinion shifted from indifferent to slightly jealous to actually coming up with the idea that becomes the whole point of this book shows that Sam is one of those rare people with a very good heart and open mind. And that scene when he confessed his feeling, quick and simple and has a bit spur-of-the-moment feel…goodness, I loved it so much!

Free Soul: Discovery! 

Meanwhile, Tom’s character is what I would call a free soul. His love for music, art, and freedom, and the way his do-gooder personality often slipped into his works are genuine. I was surprised when I read the part saying he’s actually an asexual person because honestly it’s the first time I hear about such type. It only made this book even more unique in my eyes. And the asexuality layer just strengthened his whole free persona even more. Tom’s character kind of reminded me on a particular quote that I really love. I found it years ago and had taken a liking of it right away but honestly didn’t quite know what it truly means. Until now.

Tom’s character made me realize just how exactly a free soul would be like. I mean, they don’t have to be exactly like Tom. But they could be someone who could make people feel like Ramona and Sam when they’re near Tom. I’m really glad that I read this book because I’ve been searching for the meaning of this quote for a long time now and here, Laura, made me understand it in one easy way through Tom. What an experience I had here!

Final Thought(s)

This Song Is (Not) For You presents a picture perfect of how a girl and two boys could build love and friendship without abandoning any of them out of the group. It’s definitely not a shallow young romance and I personally think people needs to be open minded to really get the point of this story. Guess I kind of failed to do it but I think I’ll read it again and will probably change my mind later. For now, though, I’m still enjoying the friendship more than the romance.

I don’t really have any book comparison with this one but those who enjoy David Levithan and John Green’s books might find this book endearing.

Read More

(Netgalley) ARC Review: Thicker than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Thicker than Water by Brigid Kemmerer
Rating: /5

*I received digital ARC of this book from Kensington Books through Netgalley*

Genre : YA (Paranormal)
Pub. Date: December 29th, 2015

Get a copy here!
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Synopsis
Thomas Bellweather never once imagined that his life would turn into a total havoc at the age of seventeen. Not that he had a perfect life whatsoever before. Thomas grew up in an incomplete family of two yet it was alright; he was happy, he loved his mom and he got a plan after the graduation. Then his mom decided to drag him all the way to Garrett’s Mill and got him a new father figure―Stan the cop. And who is he to command? Thomas loved his mom so he went along with her plan as long as it made her happy. It obviously didn’t.
Marie Bellweather died―murdered―ten days after her wedding. And as if it wasn’t tragic enough, everyone in town set their eyes on Thomas, silently asking question he didn’t have the answer. Could it get any worse? Being a stranger in a small town was suck, but being a stranger who was suspected as his own mother’s murderer? It was the new reality that Thomas had to shoulder now. Good thing he wasn’t the only one who could not believe his ‘luck’. Stan still hadn’t kicked him out of the house and Charlotte Rooker, sixteen years old of trouble-magnet, somehow believed he was innocent. Contrary to her three cop-brothers who were all eager to capture Thomas on the first command, Charlotte saw something beneath Thomas’ troubled face: anger, frustration, grief, grief so deep it could make an ornament of a relief. Thomas was attracted to Charlotte’s braveness (or really, recklessness) and the way she saw him with curiosity rather than suspicion. Charlotte was drawn to Thomas’ chivalry and the way his eyes clouded with distress. Unspoken attraction was thick in the air between them but no one bothered to romanticize their situation like those in romance movies: suspected murderer and innocent faithful girl, they could make one sweetly tragic couple. Went around everyone’s back was the only way for them to meet as they tried to find any missing clues. What they found, though, was more than that. Could it get any worse? Yes, it could. Because after his mom, it could be his life now in danger. Or worse, it could be the life of the one girl who unconditionally cared for him, Charlotte’s.

Now if all my thoughts could fit in one sentence, I would so steal Jennifer’s testimony about this book from the cover...

"Kemmerer will melt your heart and blow your mind."
-#1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

That’s exactly how I felt about Thicker than Water!

Perfect Delivery of the Story
I dove into this book with a promise of romantic YA with a background of murder mystery. It only took me five chapters before I was completely hooked. Brigid presented a very well-built and unpredictable storyline. The way she slipped little details here and there leaving the readers to bask in their own misguided imagination, immersing them to tag along Thomas’ mishap and Charlotte’s adventure to help him. I kept guessing how the story would play out and ended up all wrong every single time. All characters had various personalities, adding one more factor to the richness of the elements of the story. There were characters that would tug your heartstrings, those who’d make you shake your head in both amusement and slightly awe, those who’d frustrate you and those who’d make you shiver in disbelief. The tensions were perfectly captured and Brigid also succeeded in delivering the emotions of both main characters through their narrations.

Lovely Characters and Sweet Romance
Told in alternating perspectives, which is my favorite, this book offered two different viewpoints of a suspect-murderer and a person who believed him as innocent while they’re also tangled in growing chemistry among complexities. Thomas’ voice was more to poignant side. From his narration, it’s clear how frustrated he was with the circumstance he was in. I ached for him a lot. His character quickly captured my heart. Add chivalry, slightly flirtatious personality, and a bit of bad boy quality, now we have one swoon-worthy hero to fall in love with. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s character was the one to whom you could be in love-hate relationship with, though I personally liked her alright. Her trouble-inducing trait was both frustrating and hilarious. Being in her head was quite an amusing experience. She could be so silly, embarrassing, pretty brave, and sometimes even sharp. The connection these two characters made was somewhere between sweet and dangerous. And who doesn’t like some little dangers in their romance? It happened pretty quick since it had an ‘attraction-on-the-first-sight’ start at first. But I loved that their feelings started to get a hold of its pace and develop steadily along with the plot. Charlotte’s shyness and Thomas’ flirty side made a cute romance which later shifted to the sexier side as the roles reversed at some point.

Surprising Twist (in so many level)
My non existence expectation slowly built up the more pages I read. I couldn’t wait to see how the author would solve the mystery. So imagine my surprise when Brigid decided to drop the p-bomb out of nowhere…
I really enjoyed this book from the start and at some point I was sure that I’d give this one a solid five stars. The paranormal twist―a complex one even, I may add―felt out of place among the whole plot. It didn’t necessarily kill my excitement but it didn’t exactly answer my curiosity either. Readers who’s familiar with Brigid’s previous books might not be as surprised as those who read Thicker than Water as their first book from her. I belong to the latter so this turn of events left me with indescribable feeling I couldn’t comprehend. What I didn’t like was how this ‘too-late’ twist changed a bit of my perspective toward certain character which I tried so hard not to do. Yet the good thing, it made me wants to read Brigid other paranormal books…

Final Thought(s)
The climax in the end I did enjoy but the ending gave an impression of upcoming twist later beyond. With an exception of the ‘surprising twist’, Thicker than Water is written very well. The writing style, the characters, the plot, the romance, the feeling I got from reading this book, I loved them all. Thus, it’s kind of hard for me to give it a low rating despite my issues above. I would let you judge this issue on your own but I personally think that despite everything, Thicker than Water is one interesting read that makes you want to chase the thrill to the end and not put it down before you find the answer you’re looking for.

ADD TO GOODREADS now...

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

Read More

Blog Tour: Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo | Review

Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo
Rating: /5

*I received digital ARC of this book from Random House Children’s (through Netgalley) as part of blog tour*

Genre: YA (Contemporary)
Pub. Date: January 19th, 2016

Get a copy here!

AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY 

I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour of Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo. She's kind of 'new-to-me' author and this book made me wonder how could I never read books from her before... Up to This Pointe is one unique read with unforgettable setting and remarkable lessons. Sooo, getting an opportunity to join this blog tour was surely an experience I wouldn't miss in a heartbeat. And of course, many thanks to Random House Children's for that! ^^

MY REVIEW

Synopsis

Three years old was when Harper first breathes ballet. And she never stopped ever since.

At twelve, Harper and her best friend, Kate, made The Plan: to be pro ballerinas together.

Now at sixteen, so close to their dream, Harper wouldn’t let anything to get in the way.

Not her education-pro parents, not the cute boy who came and actually enjoyed her school recital, not even her long-life mentor with her horrible ‘sometimes-ballet-doesn’t-love-you-back’ speech.

Harper might not as natural as Kate but she had worked hard for this dream all her life. Being a ballerina was everything Harper had imagined of doing yet how could people see it otherwise was beyond her. It’s okay, though, because Harper was a Scott (sharing the same blood with fearless Antarctica explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, must count for something, right?). Plus she got Kate and The Plan, and that was enough to keep her spirit high facing this battle toward the future.

So imagine her surprise when her plan practically went south. Literally. South. Too much weight on her shoulder, too much pain on her toes; led to imperfect pointe and eventually fallen dream. Or was it the reverse? Harper wasn’t sure. What she was sure of now is that she had left San Fransisco for four consecutive flights to McMurdo Station. Antarctica. South Pole. Retracing her ancestor’s path might bring some enlightenment to her grieving phases. The cold, the dark, the isolation from the world outside seemed to be worrying for her miserable mental condition, but Harper had always been a challenger. And she wanted to prove that nothing could stop her again from defying gravity. Not even an extreme winter among strangers.

What started as an irresponsible getaway becomes a priceless learning session as realization came down on Harper: that even the biggest failure doesn’t mean an end but sometimes it could be a sign for you to ask yourself whether you’ve been walking on the right lane.

Five-stars Setting
Unusual setting is the first element that engaged me with Up to This Pointe. I could count with my fingers how many author whose books that I’ve read that actually put efforts to their setting as much as to their storyline. Jennifer Longo obviously has vast knowledge about Antarctica and I enjoyed every detail she pours into the pages which she arranges in a way that, despite the unfamiliar terms of places, evoking rich imagination by the readers. The descriptions of the station and its surrounding are clearly defined that it makes me feel like I am actually there, fighting against the cold with the other two hundreds population of McMurdo Station.

A to Z Ballet
Characters’ penchant of ballet is also written in a detailed journey of how ones love ballet, work hard for it, and decide to make it as professional jobs. We could see how Harper, compared to Kate whose talent in ballet is natural, has to work twice as hard to be on the same stage (secondary role) with her. Also there’s a financial factor where not only Harper works hard in ballet, but she also has to work hard for ballet. She teaches kids class to pay her own tuition since ballet apparently isn’t a cheap avocation. All this time, what I know about ballet is limited to beautiful girls doing pointe gracefully in cute tutu. That’s all. In this book, Longo exposes the deeper side of ballet more than what most people usually see. There’s the eating issue leading to weight issue, bony figure, bad injures on toes, the facts that there’s such a thing as body shaped and not-shaped for ballet, to the harsh world of ballet career. Just like any other career, not everyone who could do ballet actually get to be ballerina. Same thing as not everyone good in singing gets to be a singer. I love how she lays all these facts out, showing realistic side of ballet world.

Perfect Characterization(s) and Chemistry(/ies)
Harper’s character is realistic and relatable. She acts her age and along the way we could see how Harper grew up to be much better in the end. The other characters like Kate, Harper’s family, Owen, and people from McMurdo each are delineated very well. I love the dynamic of Harper’s family so much which also features healthy relationship between parents and kids. Her friendship with Kate I’m sure is relatable for most people. Living in McMurdo, Harper gets to meet a lot of new people with various characteristics. I am especially drawn to her odd friendship with Charlotte and Vivian. The three of them make a weird yet heartwarming connection as they grow closer each day. Harper’s relationship with Owen is something to die for. The romance isn’t an instant chemistry. And it’s such a moving moment watching their feelings grow along the distances that separate them.

Relatable Lessons
Told in first POV heroine, Up to This Pointe follows the story of Harper whose plan fell apart when unexpected things take turns ruined it. Harper is not a weakling. She’s stubborn and possessed a high-spirited will to reach her dream. But sometimes when you feel like you’ve done your best, things wouldn’t always go as expected. Because Harper is a hard-worker in ballet practicing, it’s expected that she would be a great ballerina one day. Yet life doesn’t work like that. There would be this small space beyond our control in the end of the day which led to a painful failure, reminding us for a possible latent mistake or just simply reminding us to keep our heads low no matter how high we’ve stood. Harper learns her lesson the hard way and as many teens do, they take a short cut: to run away. Antarctica seems like the best answer for Harper. Besides the getaway thingy, Harper wants to retrace her ancestor’s step, Scott’s, whose determination is both amazing and terrifying. Do or die-at-attempt quote might be a wise thing to say but there are circumstances that actually don’t fit the case. In Antarctica, Harper learns the best from the ‘failed’ which she found she could relate more to her own situation. That to win doesn’t always mean to successfully conquer the thing, but to know exactly where we stand against it.

Final Thought(s)
The plot is neat, goes with steady pace as the story is told in back-and-forth narration of present time and flashback scenes making the readers question what exactly happened to the narrator. The ending is executed very well without so much drama which totally suits the whole plot. With perfectly captured emotions and engaging writing style, Up to This Pointe provides a valuable journey of a young girl facing a bitter reality and eventually finds a way to save herself.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

Read More

(Netgalley) ARC Review: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Rating: /5

*I received digital ARC of this book from Random House Children’s through Netgalley*

Genre: YA (Contemporary)
Pub. Date: December 8th, 2015

Get a copy here!

AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Synopsis
Told in a simple plot and steady pace, The Trouble with Destiny offers a relatable story of high school era where love, friendship, self-discovery, and all its drama took place. It was spring break and a dedicated sixteen years old drum major, Liza, was on a mission. After overhearing the worst news of the year (budget-cutting haunting the band!), Liza worked her brains out to find a way-out. Came a golden answer to her prayer in a form of newsletter email: a spring break cruise with performing arts competition for a $25.000 grand prize. Liza set her eyes on the prize like a hawk as she hauled the whole HH Style Marchers away to Destiny―the said ship that would probably take them to the land of (financially) bright future. But sometimes even the well-planned mission could go all wrong in a blink of an eye. And Liza’s went worryingly distracted she eyed ex-best friend slash enemy, innocently-annoying quarterback, and old crush hottie crawling along with the crowd to board the ship. It only took, um, a few hours of total one week for Liza’s mission to start shifting into a whole series of mishaps involving some band dramas, bad judgment, false interpretation, and re-emerged old rivalry. And to top it off, Destiny’s breakdown that came along with fear glazed with silent guilt. Liza had to get hear mind back to the game fast. But when the pressure of the competition combined with the chaos of her so-called love life became too much for her, Liza had to admit that sometimes the last step to reach victory is to take a step back and let your hard-work charms its way to destiny.

“Take your glory, Liza,” she says matter-of-factly. “I know you were there all along. You just needed to take a step back to prove it.”
(Chapter XXIII)

Hilarious Heroine
I love the simplicity and the lightness of the story filled with humor and amusing remarks here and there. Liza was one interesting character. She was a natural in hilarious department. It only took me two chapters to fall in love/feel embarrassed with her clumsiness around cute boy and just her clumsiness in general (God, I couldn’t even mention the list of her clumsiness since it was just too embarrassing to be published here… //.\\).
Unintentionally, Liza possessed a big urge to control thing under her command. As a drum major, that ‘thing’ meant her band. Even though Liza came out more like a high-strung commander than a high school drum major, deep down she did it all to keep the band together―to keep the family together. Liza loved the band as much as she loved herself… but a girl could only take so much. The vague existence of her teacher only added another factor that leads her eagerness-to-win into frustration and repetitive temper-explosion.
I like how the heroine is realistically imperfect as it only highlights the core of the story more: how a girl grows up as she learns some important things in her life. Liza’s self-realization makes a good lesson for young readers to learn from.

Romance: The Unexpected
Despite how predictable the romance twist presented here (where I seemed to know which scene I should swoon over), I just loved every scene of it. There are practically two potential heroes and one heroine in this book (which usually freaked me out ‘cause God knows how much I hate love-triangle), yet I enjoyed the progress of their relationship from time to time with all the chasing and pushing. I like that the romance implied such deep message: that you can expect love all you want and it’s okay but when the unexpected comes along, that’s the one that will thoroughly change your life.

Source: theteenagerquotes.tumblr.com

Good Ending
Every issue is completely resolved in the end. Besides the self-realization and ‘appreciating’ the unexpected, Liza also learned to make peace with her past. How Liza and Demi’s, said ex-best friend, relationship played out eventually isn’t overdone and I like the touch of ‘realistic’ in it when they decided to take baby steps toward their future. I especially love the scene when Demi said the words I quoted above to Liza. It’s really heartwarming and that moment I know that they would no doubt be friends again.

Final Thought(s) 
In the end, The Trouble with Destiny is an enjoyable and fun read with a good amount of lessons about life. Though I personally enjoy the story, I think younger readers (below 18) could relate with this book more with the light issues and simple plot. Lauren’s engaging and addictive writing style makes this book even more attractive along with the cuteness of the cover. Readers who enjoy books of Jennifer E. Smith, Kasie West, and Jenny Han should definitely add this book for their next read.

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.

Read More