Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date:  December 27th, 2011

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

(If only it were that easy.)

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father. By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up.

But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This was one of the Winter 2011 books that I had most looked forward to.  I knew nothing about it, but the cover alone had me wanting to get my hands on a copy- it's just too cute.  I got the book when it came out and pretty quickly, forgot that I had it.  A few months later I came across it again, and decided that despite its thickness, I would give it a go.  Upon opening it, I was surprised that it was written in free verse, like Ellen Hopkins's books.  I love Ellen's books (like, really, REALLY love them), and I tend to, probably unfairly, hold all other books written in this style up to her standard, so I immediately lowered my expectations...  Can I tell you?  There was absolutely no need!  Sarah Tregay may not do it quite as well as Ms. Hopkins, but as good as her debut is, I have a feeling she has it in her.  This book was very good!

Told in the form of protagonist, Marcie's diary/poetry journal entries, Love & Leftovers is a coming of age story that stands out from the pack.  Marcie is an interesting character.  She is happy with her life, her friends, her boyfriend (she thinks, maybe...).  Things shake up for her when her mother finds out that her father has been seeing another man on the side, and without thought, takes Marcie to her family lake house for a permanent vacation.  Marcie's mom ends up spending months wallowing in self pity and depression, leaving Marcie to fend for herself.  As she struggles with the fact that she misses her dad, her friends, and (maybe) her boyfriend back home, she also begins a new life at a new school, meets a boy who she finds herself drawn to, and starts to realize that maybe she wasn't as happy as she thought she was before.  Just as she settles into her new life, her mother sends her back to her father, friends, and boyfriend, and things are not the same, and never will be...

I loved the way Sarah Tregay wrote Marcie.  She was so achingly real as she went through the ups and downs of life.  I loved Marcie's voice, and the way she picked things apart in her poems.  He journey along the road of self-discovery was inspirational, and I often found myself getting emotional right along with her.  This book took me back to my high school years, and it made me remember the yin and yang of feeling like an invincible teenager one moment, and an insecure child the next.  There are some questions that don't have answers, or have too many answers, but certainly no right or wrong, and to me, that is what growing up is- the ability to recognize that.  I felt like Tregay really captured that.  

Overall, I would say that this book won't be for everyone.  People will either love it or hate it, and I think there won't be a lot of in-between.  There isn't any heart-stopping action or malice in this book- there is not even really an antagonist.  This book is romantic and emotional, with a touch of humor laced into it.  It's purely a feel-good, warm-fuzzies, coming-of-age story, that will make you smile in the end.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book has a couple of hot and heavy make-out scenes and a few swears, but is otherwise clean.  Appropriate for 6th grade and up (ages 11+).

**Don't forget to check out my giveaway for a chance to win a hardcover cop of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry!  Click HERE to enter!  Ends at 12:00am, August 14th, 2012**

Review: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: March 13th, 2012

High school sophomore Willa and her artist mother move to Arizona where Willa starts attending an elite prep school after her mother finally sells some paintings, and Willa attempts to even things out by stealing from the rich students and giving to the poor ones.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

When I first read about this book, I was curious.  A modern-day retelling of Robin Hood where the "rich" are mean girls at an ultra-exclusive private school, and the "poor" are the scholarship kids that attend there?  I figured it would be one of two things; either painfully cliche or cute in a snarky/funny kind of way.  What I didn't expect is that it would be delightfully cliche, cute, snarky/funny, and have a message to go along with it.  It was like a mash-up of Gossip Girl, Mean Girls, and Robin Hood.

Willa starts out at her new school when her mother finds success after many years as a starving artist, and on her first day meets the "nice girl" that is part of every popular/mean girl clique.  She befriends her and immediately taken into the fold.  As time goes by, Willa realizes more and more that she doesn't really fit in with this ultra-rich crowd, and that the girls, with the exception of Cherise (the "nice one"), are not very nice at all.  They constantly berate, bully, and cyber-abuse everyone, including one another, but especially the scholarship girls, who Willa knows to be very nice.  This bothers Willa.  Since Willa knows that it would be social suicide to confront them about their behavior, she begins stealing from them and using the money to buy designer stuff for the poor girls, who see their statuses raised by having access to these things.  Yes, cliche, but still quite cute...

But that isn't all... "How does Willa come by her mad thievery skills?", you may ask.  She enlists the help of Tre, a sexy, mysterious bad boy who also just started at her school.  Son of a pro basketball player, he has a shady (possibly criminal?) past, and is full of tips to help Willa with her scheming; with the tips, however, come his advice to not do whatever it is she's doing.  And then there's Aiden, who of course, is the unattainable, super-gorgeous, ultra-rich, bad boy/playboy who shows interest in Willa, then kind of disappears until later on in the book.  THEN, aside from the teenage romance, there's another element of mystery with Willa's mom and possibly the father she never knew?

As you can see, there is a lot going on in this book, and honestly, while there are some things that I saw coming a mile away, there were some events that I didn't expect (although I won't spoil them here).  It had its moments of been-there-done-that, but it also had a great many laughs and right-on moments as well.  It addresses cyber-bullying in a non-preachy manner that I like, and it doesn't leave a black-and-white, right-or-wrong taste in your mouth.  It would be interesting to have teens read this and debate Willa's actions and whether they are justified or not.  I'm glad this book is the first in a series because as much as I enjoyed the book, I didn't love how it ended; it felt very abrupt and it left me a tad bit annoyed.  Thankfully, the 2nd book, Pretty Sly, comes out in March of 2013, and Willa's story will continue.  I, for one, can't wait to read it.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  There's the standard teen drunkenness, partying, and sex that are a part of any YA book about the overprivileged, undersupervised.  I would say this is best suited for grades 8 and up (ages 13+).

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: January 31st, 2012

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book was such a surprise for me.  Several months ago, when people started buzzing about it (the cover, mostly), my interest was piqued, but this wasn't one of the 2012 debuts that I felt like I HAD to get my hands on without delay.  I thought, "Sure, the cover is really pretty, and the story sound interesting enough, but it's not CALLING to me."  Well, in this case, my instincts were way off.  This book was awesome, one of my favorites so far this year; and now that I know the story behind the cover, I think it is the most beautiful cover of the year.  Ya'll NEED to read this book!

I'll start my review by telling you what I loved best (and I say "loved" because "like" is not a strong enough word to properly express my feelings)... The characters in this book were so multi-dimensional, especially "nosoul" Ana.  I cannot even fathom being in her position- everyone she's ever met has the experience of thousands of years of living- they all intimately know each other, in one way or another, and they can never really die because they will just be reincarnated with all the knowledge and experience of their previous lives.  They don't really care if they die- they will come back soon enough- but Ana?  No one knows what her fate will be when she dies.  That has to be scary!  Add to all of that the fact that most people, her own parents included, hate her for being an aberration.  These feelings are so intense that her father left when she was an infant and her mother kept her hidden away from society as a whole, for her first 18 years of life; physically, mentally, and verbally abusing her the entire time.  Imagine what kind of person you become after that.  Ana has a strong spirit though, and she perseveres, teaching herself life skills that her mother couldn't be bothered with teaching her.  Now she's 18 and she wants answers.  Who is she?  Why was she born?  Is there anyone out there like her?  When she goes on her quest for them, she meets Sam, and I have to say, he is one of the most tender and worthy male characters I've come across in a YA novel.  I found myself rooting for them from the beginning, and one of the things that kept me reading was the need to find out if a romance ever developed between the two, of if their relationship would stay platonic.  Sam and Ana were the main characters, but Jodi Meadows spent a decent amount of time developing the supporting characters as well, and I was so glad for that...

Of course, you can't write a book with characters alone, and that brings me to the story.  It was equally good.  A well rendered world, with an interesting premise behind it.  The originality of this book was amazing.  Imagine the utopian existence that could be built if the people within it had thousands of years of personal experience on which to build it.  Imagine how that might be disrupted if suddenly a beloved friend, who everyone expected to be reborn, was suddenly replaced by a brand new soul who had no experience to draw upon.  Imagine if that person was raised away from society for 18 years, only to return under the protection of a valued member of society.  You would think it would divide the people, and it did.  

If you haven't ascertained this already, I will reiterate...  I LOVED this book.  It was beautifully written, with such a strong sense of humanity- both the good and bad aspects of it.  I couldn't put it down, and I am beyond excited for the release of book #2.  Anyone looking for something fresh and different,   should definitely give this book a try.  You won't be disappointed you did.

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is pretty clean.  There is some romance, and sex is alluded to in one chapter, but never spoken about outright.  Anyone reading this that wouldn't be ready for that type of content, probably wouldn't understand what they were talking about anyway.  I was say this book is more than appropriate for 5th grade and up (ages 10+).

Review: Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: June 28th, 2011

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?

Tera Lynn Childs’s sequel to Forgive My Fins offers another tail-flicking romance with plenty of fun, sun, and underwater adventure.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I've loved every Tera Lynn Childs book I've read.  They are such a breath of fresh air!  I always have a feeling of levity and a sunshiny glow when I'm finished.  Although Fins Are Forever is not my absolute favorite of her books, I still adored it (my favorite so far is Sweet Venom).  It picks up where the first book, Forgive My Fins, left off and continues Lily's story.  She is happily in love with Quince and her life is pretty much just peachy, even if it is on land.  She has plans for her future with Quince and although she misses Thalassinia and her family, she feels like she has made the right choice.  Right?  Add a bratty, banished cousin and a hottie prince from another mer-kingdom to the mix and Lily's peachy life plans start to unravel...  I don't want to spoil, so I won't give any more info about the story, but I will say that I am happy that there will be a 3rd book (Just For Fins, Katherine Tegen Books, July 3rd, 2012), because although the end was fine, I would love to know more about what happens next in Lily's life.

The story was, as per Tera's MO, very cute.  Heavy on the romance, but not sickeningly so.  I think Tera tried for a love-triangle, but that fell flat because Lily and Quince are too strong a couple, which in my opinion, is a good thing.  I like to see a couple sure of each other and not so fickle as to be drawn to the first new person to show interest.  As with the first book, I loved Tera's descriptions of Thalassinia best.  I want to live there!  Then, of course, there were the characters.  Lily is a nice girl- there's nothing to dislike about her- she's the daughter every parents wants to have, the BFF every girl wants, and the perfect girlfriend; Quince is great, maybe a little too perfect, but I guess their perfect coupledom is part of the book's charm.  I loved getting to know feisty Doe since she ended up being a favorite character.  She spiced things up and kept the book from being boring.

Overall, I thought this book was great.  Not as good as the first book, but it definitely served its purpose by lightening my mood after a slew of heavier books.  Like I mentioned before, I am so glad that there is going to be a 3rd book, because I am not ready for this story to be over.
My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  Very clean.  There's are a few make-out scenes, but I wouldn't even call those PG-13; nothing hot and heavy.  No violence, no cursing.  This book is fine for ages 10 and up (5th grade+).

WWW (20) and Waiting on Wednesday (November 23rd, 2011) Double Feature: Just for Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

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?


With the kids being home this entire week for Thanksgiving break, I've had little time to read, but I've gotten a lot of other things done, so that's good!  Anyway...

What are you currently reading?

Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka~ Part of the Guys Read initiative, a compilation of stories by authors M.T. Anderson, Patrick Carman, Gennifer Choldenko, Matt De la Pena, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Bruce Hale, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Anthony Horowitz, Walter Dean Myers, and James Patterson.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain~ I know, I'm late to the party on this one, but sadly, there's only so much time to read...  Loving it so far though.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney~ The newest of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise.  I can't say that I love these books, but my kids adore them.  I'm reading this to Sarah at bedtime.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, #3: Lucinda's Secret by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi~ This is Ben's bedtime read.  I can't say I'm sad about it.  I love these books and am happy to revisit them with another of my kids.  :)




What did you recently finish reading?

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott~ Hands down, the weirdest book I have ever read.  I'm still a little confused, and still processing it.  I really can't figure out if I loved it or hated it.  Review coming soon (maybe).

Flyaway by Helen Landalf~ I've been trying to stay on top of my NetGalleys, and this one comes out on December 19th, so I gave it a go.  To say it is an emotional book would be an understatement.  Read my review HERE.




What do you think you'll read next?

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes~ In keeping ahead of my ARCs... I've actually been looking forward to reading this.  It releases on December 27th.

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff~ I loved her first book, The Replacement, and have been eagerly awaiting this for a LONG time.  Now that I have it, I can't wait to start reading it!  The reviews have been fantastic so far!

"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 books coming out in the next year that I am excited about- too many to count, really!  My WoW pick for this week is one that I'm am particularly eager for because I have never read anything by this author that I didn't adore.  With that said, this week I am Waiting On...

Just For Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

When Lily Sanderson decided to remain Crown Princess Waterlily of the mermaid kingdom Thalassinia, she knew she couldn’t just coast along in the current. But since she’s spent the last couple of years on land—with gorgeous human Quince by her side—Lily’s not sure she has the fins to lead a kingdom. Even her maddeningly pretentious cousin Dosinia seems to know more about ruling than she does.

But Lily has to dive in deep to keep her promise to Tellin, her mer bond in name only, whose kingdom is suffering in the changing ocean climate. Lily knows this is a seven seas–sized problem: from sea animals dying to oil spills and threats to humans. They’ll need to create some serious waves to make the mer community aware and get it to join together to make things right. Even if that means facing one of the iciest queens in the mer kingdoms.

Just when Lily thinks her double life on land and sea can’t get any more complicated, an ancient mer law might separate Lily and Quince after all. It feels as if the pair is up against a solid tsunami wave!

In this third installment in the series that began with Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever, Lily will have to find a way to balance safety and justice for the mer people as well as for the humans she loves.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I loved the first two books in this series, Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever, so when Tera announced a couple of months ago that her publisher approved a 3rd book for the series, I did a little happy dance.  Now, like she did in 2011, Tera's got not one, but two books coming out in 2012.  That's HUGE news for a fangirl like me!  I can't wait to read Just for Fins!

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date:  July 3rd, 2012

My Expected Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  


What are you waiting on?