WWW (24) and Waiting on Wednesday (January 18th, 2012): 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

W. W. W. Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading a great blog that I subscribe to. Here's how it works... Each Wednesday I will answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you'll read next?


I'm late posting today because I've been trying to get a bunch of reading done, while staying on top of my reviews, but I figure, better late than never...


What are you currently reading?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green~ You can never go wrong with a little John Green, and this book is no exception.  It takes a great talent to tastefully write humor into a book about cancer, and John Green makes it look easy.  I've just started this and already I can tell that this will be getting a 5-star plus rating.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor~ How did I wait so long to read this?  It's amazing!  It's one of those books I find myself slow-reading because I really don't want it end.  Laini Taylor has a way of writing that is so beautiful; a gift.


What did you recently finish reading?

Blood Red Road by Moira Young~ I've mentioned before that I could never get into the print version of this book, despite having tried several times.  Finally I got the audio, and it was PHENOMENAL!  Now I understand the hype.  I guess sometimes I just need the story in someone else's voice.

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey~ This book was okay, but not a favorite.  I kind of expected a lot more, to be honest, having heard great things about her other books.  It does have a beautiful cover though, doesn't it?  Read my review HERE.

Fracture by Megan Miranda~ This book was great.  I read it because it was touted as a must-read for fans of If I Stay and Before I Fall but honestly, it was nothing like either of those books (both of which I loved).  That being true, I loved it just as much.  Read my review HERE.


What do you think you'll read next?

Everneath by Brodi Ashton~ This one comes out next week, and in keeping with my "stay on top of NetGalley books" New Year's resolution, I will be reading it next.  I've really been looking forward to this one for awhile, so I'm very excited!

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudesky~ I think I'm going to want a funny book and Seth Rudesky is funny.  Plus it releases on Tuesday, and in keeping with that New Year's resolution...

"Waiting On" Wednesday is another fun blog event. Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, this event gives us a chance to talk about the books we anxiously await the release of. Since there is ALWAYS a looooooong list of books I'm waiting on (I actually keep a spreadsheet), I figured this is one that I MUST do.


I was thinking of doing a different book this week, but the cover hasn't been revealed, and I hate doing WoW posts without covers.  This book was supposed to be for next week, so hopefully this week's book will have a cover soon...

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

What's a girl gotta do to earn her dad's trust (fund)? 

Famous teen heiress, Lexington Larrabee, has never had to work a day in her life. But all of that changes on her eighteenth birthday when her ever-absent, mogul father decides to take a more proactive approach to her life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast food restaurant employee, it’s the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her. Readers of all ages are sure to fall in love with Jessica Brody’s delightful riches to rags comedy.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Jessica Brody is great!  I'm not a huge fan of Contemporary YA, but her books always make me laugh because I love her characters.  I've always been a fan of riches-to-rags stories, and this one looks like it has the makings to be hilarious and unpredictable.  This will be a perfect vacation read and I can't wait!

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus, & Giroux BYR

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012

My Expected Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

What are YOU Waiting On this week?

Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker & Co.

Publication Date:  January 17th, 2012

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

There are three reasons I wanted to read this book... First, I had heard really good things about Alyxandra Harvey's other books, Haunting Violet and The Drake Chronicles.  Second, I really love the cover; I can't really pinpoint what it is about the cover that drew me in, but it did.  Third, and most importantly, I love books about fae as they are supposed to be (not the cute little things Disney portrays them as).  Holly Black is one of my favorite authors, and THE expert on all things faery, as far as I am concerned, and the synopsis of Stolen Away gave me the impression that Alyxandra Harvey was writing her fae like Holly does.  So, I read Stolen Away and here's what I thought...

I liked it.  I didn't love it, but it was good.  Here's the thing... Over the past few weeks I have read some truly phenomenal books- Cinder, Under the Never Sky, Fracture, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.  That said, I'm probably being a teensy bit harder on this book than I may have been had I been in a reading slump, but so it goes.  Anyway, I did like this book.  It was mostly well written and the story was good.  It was very interesting and it held my attention most of the time.  It did have a couple of dull spots, but overall, it was well paced.  My biggest complaint about the story was that it was told from the POVs of Eloise and Jo.  I don't really get why Jo's POV was important enough to deserve such spotlight; she never really played more than a supporting role, but a huge part of the book was dedicated to her.  The only thing I can figure is that there will be a second book where Jo will play a larger role, but so far, I've heard nothing about that.  The truth is that I liked Jo, and I liked her little side-story, I just didn't like how it was written because it was a huge distraction from Eloise's story, which was the really important one in this book.  I also thought the character development was lacking a little.  I like my characters to feel like friends, I didn't really connect with any of them in that way.  I liked most of the characters, but it was the way I would like an acquaintance.  I think my favorite part of this book had to be the world building.  Alyxandra did a great job with the setting; I loved the rich descriptions of the faery realms, the clothes, the creatures, the park, even the apartment Eloise lived in and the farm Jo's grandparents owned.  If this review was for world-building alone, it would be a 5-star review!

Overall, I think this book was worth reading and would recommend it, especially if you are a fan of the genre.  It was a good book, and if a sequel is written, I will definitely read it, but will probably get it from the library of hope for an advance copy. 

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is fine for Middle School and up.  There is some romance, including a couple of make-out scenes, but otherwise, it is pretty clean.  Grades 6 and up (ages 11+).

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Publisher: Walker & Co.

Publication Date: January 17th, 2012

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine —despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? 

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening? 

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

When I first read the synopsis of this book (which, surprise, surprise, I was drawn to because of the cover), I decided I wanted to read it because it said, "For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay...".  Since I am a fan of both books, I figured this one was going to be a winner.  And it is; it is DEFINITELY a winner, but it is really nothing like either aforementioned book.  Sure, Dalaney faces her mortality like Samantha has to in Before I Fall, and she starts the book in a coma like Mia spends most of If I Stay, but really the similarities end there, and I kind of hate that parallels were drawn at all between the books.  Fracture is a great story in its own right.

This book was a quick read, only 264 pages, and it is absolutely engrossing from the first page.  It is the kind of book that you will want to read from the beginning because of the fantastic pacing.  The mysteries unfold at great intervals, but more importantly, the story between each revelation is engaging and interesting.  Often I will read a book, turning the pages at a breakneck speed, just to get to answers, skimming over the filler in between.  This book was not like that at all.  I wanted to read all of it; the answers to the burning questions were more like the cherry on top than the entire reason for reading the book.

The thing I loved the most about Fracture was probably the inner dialogue that Delaney carries on with herself.  I would never have been able to imagine how difficult it would be to sort out the "whys" of essentially BEING a miracle.  Delaney's inner voice made that possible, and while it was absolutely gut-wrenching at times, it was also quite beautiful and profound.  Delaney wasn't an easy character to connect with, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that she just wasn't a very open person to begin with.  She had very few true friends, despite the fact that she had a tight group that she hung out with.  I eventually did connect with Delaney, but it wasn't until the middle-to-end of the book.  As far as the other characters, I did like some of them, but I wish there was more about them.  We learned a bit about Decker, Delaney's BFF, and about Troy, the mysterious boy who Delaney connected with over their shared experiences, but everyone else was just sort of there, and there were definitely times when I felt like I wasn't sure why they were there.

As far as the plotline is concerned, it was very unique and quite interesting.  The ability Delaney finds herself with upon waking up from her coma is awful, and not something I would ever want to endure.  Add to that the fact that Delaney can't figure out its purpose, and it leaves for a bumpy emotional ride.  It was so sad to read about Delaney's struggle with facing the realities of it, while grappling with the fact that she couldn't really share what was going on with those she cared about most because, really, who would believe her?  What slayed me though, was some of the things she had to face later on in the book, knowing the things she knew because of her new ability, and knowing that it would never be enough.  In the end, the book wrapped up quite appropriately; it was not what I expected, and honestly, it was not easy to read, but it was fitting and very emotional.  The only flaw with the storyline, for me, was that I just didn't get how she was so drawn to Troy.  Yes, I understand that he was the only person she could talk to about what was going on inside her, but the guy is nuts- dangerous.  She knew it, yet she still continued to spend time with him, but then, I guess it wouldn't have been as much of a story if she hadn't...

Overall, I really liked this book a lot.  No, I don't think it was at all like Before I Fall or If I Stay, but it was just as good.  I feel like I was permanently affected by this story.  It made me think about how I would live today if I knew that there would be no tomorrow, and I think that is a good thing for everyone to consider once in awhile.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  There are implied references to sex, a good bit of teen drinking, and a couple of heated kisses.  There are also some very real deaths.  This book is best suited for upper-Middle School and High School readers, not so much for inappropriate content, but because of the heavy themes.  The same inner dialogue and profound questions posed that made me love this book will make it go over the heads of most younger readers.  Grades 8 and up (ages 13+).

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox (IMM) was started by The Story Siren a few years back, and is a great way for bloggers to give the books they are reading (or are planning to read) a quick mention.

Irises

By Francisco X. Stork

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine

Publication Date: January 1st, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads Synopsis

I really enjoyed Stork's book, Marcelo In the Real World, so I was eagerly awaiting this one.  The story looks intriguing and his writing has so much depth and emotion.

A Million Suns

By Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Source: Purchase

Goodreads Synopsis

This is the sequel to one of my favorite books of 2011, Across the Universe, and one of my most anticipated releases of 2012.  I can't wait to dig in, but I'm not going to until I have time to read it straight through...

Goddess Interrupted

By Aimee Carter

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Publication Date: March 27th, 2012

Source: ARC/NetGalley

Goodreads Synopsis

This is the sequel to the 2011 debut, The Goddess Test.  I was really excited to see it pop up on NetGalley, and can't wait to read it.  Sadly, I'm being disciplined, and reading my advance copies in order of release date, so it will be awhile...

Lies Beneath

By Anne Greenwood Brown

Publisher: Delacorte BYR

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012

Source: ARC/NetGalley

Goodreads Synopsis

This is a 2012 debut and I am really excited for it.  Most mermaid stories of late portray mermaids as rather gentle creatures.  I love that these are sinister, murderous mermaids, obsessed with revenge.

Starters

By Lissa Price

Publisher: Delacorte BYR

Publication Date: March 13th, 2012

Source: ARC/NetGalley

Goodreads Synopsis

Another very promising 2012 debut (I really think 2012 is going to be an epic year for debuts).  A great cover, and an AMAZING premise.  I'm having a hard time sticking to my resolution and not reading this ahead of other books...

The Fault In Our Stars

By John Green

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Source: Purchase

Goodreads Synopsis

Who DIDN'T buy this book this week?  We all know John Green is a freaking literary genius, and I have heard nothing but amazing things about this book in particular.  Another book that I have to wait to start until I have the time to finish in a sitting.  I can never put his books down.

Review: First Date by Krista McGee

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.

The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.

The lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show "for such a time as this."

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this book!  Honestly, I haven't had a tremendous amount of luck with Christian YA; most of what I've read has been rather bland, but I liked the synopsis of this one.  It looked like something that my daughter, a 5th grader, would really like and I thought it might have great potential for her school's (a Christian school) Jr. High/Sr. High summer reading list.  I was right on both fronts.  What I didn't expect was that I would enjoy it so much!

The protagonist, Addy, was great.  She was a nice girl who had a strong moral compass.  Usually I find characters like Addy very unbelievable.  I mean, do you know any attractive 17 year old girls who have never been on a date, been kissed, had a drink, or done anything wrong  ever?  How about a "normal" 17 year old who prefers to spend her time reading and spending time with her family?  Addy is all of these things, and still, I find her to be the real deal, and it is so refreshing!  The premise of this book worked so well too.  I could totally see this type of reality show happening if the President had a HS age son.  It would be a huge hit; probably the biggest ratings grabber of any reality show ever.  I loved that the host, Hank, was a total power-hungry, money-grubbing douche behind the scenes, while being the mega-watt smiling host on camera (I sincerely hope Ryan Seacrest is not like that because I like him too much!), and I loved that most of the other contestants were stereotypical head-cheerleader, pageant types, who gave Addy a hard time, assuming that her goodness was a strategy, instead of who she really was.  Sure, the story was predictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride anyway, and I have to say, that I really loved the positive message about faith that it put forth.  Addy wasn't perfect in her Christian walk, but she knew where her faith was, and that always helped her to make the best choices she was capable of making.

This book won't be for everyone.  Some people will be turned off the heavily Christian themes, but please don't be deterred because of that.  This story is far from preachy or boring, and I think that most YA Contemporary readers, regardless of their faith, will enjoy this book.  As for Christian readers, a definite must read for tween and teen girls.  I will be gushily (not sure if that's a word...) recommending this to the Jr./Sr. High Curriculum Coordinator at out school for this year's summer reading list because Christian YA doesn't get much better!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  Squeaky clean.  Appropriate, content-wise, for any age/grade level.  That said, most younger girls are still not into romantic reads because boys are still gross, so I would say 5th grade and up for that reason (ages 10+).

Cover Reveal: Purity by Jackson Pearce

If you know me, you know that I am a total Jackson Pearce fangirl!  I've read all of her books, and I just adore them.  Plus, she's a Georgia girl! On April 24th her first Contemporary book, Purity, comes out, and I cannot wait!  Love the synopsis, LOVE the cover!  What do ya'll think?

Publisher:  Little, Brown BFYR

Publication Date:  April 24th, 2012

Hours before her mother died, Shelby promised her three things-- to listen to her father, to live life without restraint, and to love whenever possible.

Those promises were easy to keep when she was younger, but things get tricky when she turns sixteen. Shelby's still-grieving father joins a committee at their church to host a Princess Ball-- a dance where young women pledge their purity (namely, their virginity) to their father's safekeeping until they marry.

But Shelby has a Life List-- things she wants to do, to live without restraint like she promised her mother-- and getting married young isn't on it. Waiting until she's thirty to have her first time isn't on it either. But how is she supposed to keep her promise to listen to her father if she refuses to pledge? By exploiting a loophole- by losing her virginity before the Ball.

She and her best friend Jonas make a list of potential partners, but somewhere in-between failed attempts at losing her virginity, trying to answer some lingering questions about God, and planning the Ball with her Dad, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her PURITY.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

WWW (23) and Waiting on Wednesday (January 11th, 2012): Where the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

W. W. W. Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading a great blog that I subscribe to. Here's how it works... Each Wednesday I will answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you'll read next?


I seem to be on a Contemporary binge, which is funny since it's not my favorite genre.  Fortunately, the books have been better than average...


What are you currently reading?

First Date by Krista McGee~ Surprisingly, I'm REALLY enjoying this one.  It's by Christian  publisher Thomas Nelson, and it's about a girl who ends up on a reality show for a chance to go to prom with the President's hunky son.  It's very cute, and I can't wait to pass it along to my daughter.  I'll also be suggesting it as a Summer Reading selection at her school.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young~ I have tried repeatedly to read this and the main character's manner of speaking has put me off of it every time.  Now I'm listening to audio, and it is FANTASTIC.  I think I just needed someone else to read those odd words for me.

Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume~ I'm reading this childhood favorite to my daughter and of course, she is loving it.  I'm pretty sure she's going to be quite unhappy when we finish the next book and there are no more in the series.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young~ I just listened to the audio version, and I have to say that, when it comes to this book, the print version is better.  It's a fabulous story though, and I cant wait for the release of A Want So Wicked!

The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams~ Much better than I thought it was going to be, but not outstanding.  A cute, fun read for fans of the genre.  Read my review HERE.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith~ WOW!!!  The best Contemporary novel since Anna and the French Kiss.  It was just perfect.  Definitely take the time to read this one!  You can find my full gushfest, I mean, review HERE.


What do you think you'll read next?

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey~ I just got an advance copy last week and am excited to read it!  It releases next Tuesday, so it will definitely be the next book off of my TBR.  Isn't the cover pretty?

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer~ This book is sitting on my shelf calling me, "Karis.  Karis. You need to read me.  You've been looking forward to reading me for months!", but I have no time to get sucked into a book, and I KNOW I will.  I will probably fake sick a day this week to read it straight through...

"Waiting On" Wednesday is another fun blog event. Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, this event gives us a chance to talk about the books we anxiously await the release of. Since there is ALWAYS a looooooong list of books I'm waiting on (I actually keep a spreadsheet), I figured this is one that I MUST do.


There are so many great books coming out, so I'm going to try to limit myself to those that are coming out sooner than later...

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.  

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book has such a hauntingly beautiful cover, doesn't it?  I will have this on my shelf even if it sucks, because of it!  Then add to it a story that sounds so unique, despite the fact that it involves vampires, and I'm sold.  This book has gotten very good advance praise and I am really optimistic.   Hopefully I will get my hands on an advance copy, but if not, I will be at the ready on release day!

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus, & Giroux BYR

Publication Date:  February 28th, 2012

My Expected Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

What are YOU Waiting On this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I Want More Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices.  I'm a list girl (as in, I don't function without them), so I thought this would be a good choice for me!  This week's topic is "Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book".  I tweaked it, because there are a few who on my list that have works-in-progress or books coming out, and I wanted to include them.  Sooo, here is my list...

Top Ten Authors I Want More Books From

1.  Harper Lee~ I don't know if ya'll know this, but the epic To Kill a Mockingbird was the ONLY book Harper Lee ever wrote.  To me that is insanity given how amazingly written and profound a novel it was.  I wish she had written more.

2.  Margaret Mitchell~ Gone With the Wind is my all-time favorite book.  I have read it at least five or six times, and will undoubtedly read it again before I die.  It totally sucks that she died young and never got to grace us with another epic tale like it.

3.  George Orwell~ I call him The Father of Dystopian Fiction because he wrote the ground-breaking, and for me, life-changing, books 1984 and Animal Farm, WAY before the genre was even a genre.  I have to wonder what he would think about this world we live in if he were alive today.

4.  Emily Bronte~ Wuthering Heights was a favorite of mine in high school, and is still such a timeless classic.  I would have loved to read more by Emily.  It's such a shame that she died so young.

5.  J.K. Rowling~ Everyone loves Harry Potter, but does she have anything else?  Or will she go down in history like Harper Lee, known for ever telling just one story?

6.  Carrie Ryan~ I know it seems strange to have a newish author on the same list with the above people, but I just can't get enough of her writing.  Honestly, I devour her books as fast as she writes them.  I know she has a couple of things in the works, but I need them to be published, like, NOW.

7.  Neal Shusterman~ Another author that has things in the works, but that I can't get enough of.  Thank God we have a release date for Unwholly, the sequel to the mind-bending Unwind (September 25th, 2012), but he needs to keep writing, because one book per year is just not enough!

8.  Libba Bray~ I know that The Diviners comes out in November, but that's a year and a half between books!  I need more Libba than that!  She is a genius.  The woman can write anything, and has proven it, but her comedic ventures are my favorite.  Seriously though, I would read a cereal box if she wrote it!

9.  John Corey Whaley~ A 2011 debut author that I am expecting HUGE things from in the future.  His debut, Where Things Come Back, was such an amazing blend of sad, witty, thought-provoking, and funny.  I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next because I think he may be the next John Green (and I ADORE John Green's books!).

10.  Stephenie Meyer~ Yes.  I admit it.  I like her books.  So what if the Twilight series was a little sappy and lame.  I still couldn't stop reading them.  And I have to say, I REALLY liked The Host.  It was like it wasn't even written by the same person.  I would like to see which author she really is; the one that wrote Twilight or the one that wrote The Host.  Disclaimer: Just to be clear, I do NOT believe that she is even in the same league with the nine authors listed above, but I am curious.

So, there are my top ten.  There are probably loads more, but I just put down the first ten that came to mind.  Can't wait to read all of your lists to see who I missed!

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Publisher:  Poppy

Publication Date: January 2nd, 2012

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

When I requested this book from the publisher, it was because I was drawn to the title and the cover.  I'm a nerd, and that is a nerdy title if ever there was one.  Add to that the cover- a black and white photo with just a splash of red- and I was in serious book lust, and I didn't even have a clue what the book was about really (other than the obvious)...  When I received it a couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled, and very eager to get started to reading it.  I'm not a huge Contemporary fan, but there are exceptions, and I had heard some good things about this book, so I was cautiously optimistic, but didn't have super-high expectations either.  Imagine my surprise and delight when the book turned out to be great!  I mean, really, really great.  Like, the best Contemporary YA novel since Anna and the French Kiss, great.  I loved this book!  Why?  

This book was so romantic without being sappy and unrealistic.  The characters, Hadley and Oliver were real to me.  They were both pretty well-adjusted teens who were slightly damaged through no fault of their own.  What teenager can't relate to that?  Hell, what adult can't relate to that?  Then they meet at an airport to travel to someplace either would rather not be going to, and they wouldn't have met if not for the fact that Hadley missed her flight by four minutes.  Fate intervening?  Perhaps?  But it isn't all unicorns and rainbows for their relationship... Despite the bond that developed during the flight, and the tugging feelings they were having, they went their separate ways after the flight landed, and it seemed it was a case of "that's that".  But, fate has a way...

I don't want to spoil this book for you, so I won't continue on.  The writing was great.  Hadley's voice was genuine and at times, really heartbreaking.  That said, she was a very strong character,  I found myself rooting for her from the get-go, and feeling a sense of satisfaction in the end.  This is a quick read, not just because of the length (a mere 236 pages), but because you will not want to put it down.  Yes, you kind of know how it's going to turn out in the end, but the fun is in reading how the characters get to that point.  This is a must-read for YA Contemporary fans, for sure, but keep in mind that this gushfest comes from a YA fan who doesn't typically like the genre, so don't pass it up just because Contemporary is usually not your thing; this one is special...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is squeaky clean.  The closest it gets to sexual content is hand holding and innocent kissing (not even heavy make-out sessions).  I'm going to suggest this book to my 5th grader because I think she'll love it.  Ages 10 and up (5th grade+).  I would probably even go out on a limb and say it would be okay for even 4th graders except for the fact that they would probably still consider the subject "icky".  :-)