Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Published: May 10th 2011
Pages: 359
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★★

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.

I will admit at first I had a huge problem with Alex. I thought she was really naive and had no common sense whatsoever. That was until, I realized she was me.

This book really hit home for me as I was in an abusive relationship for almost two years. So I could relate to Alex 100% through out this novel. The things that went on and how Alex acted, mirrored me completely when I was her age. So I give Brown huge points for nailing this situation right on the head. I think anyone who has been in this situation, can really feel touched when they read this book. I also highly recommend reading it. 

Even if you have not been in an abusive relationship, I think it's an important book but please read it with an open mind and don't be too quick to judge because sadly, abusive relationships start every single day and it's a huge problem with people of all ages but I think when it starts at such a young age, it's different and sometimes harder to overcome. But you CAN overcome it.

If I stay by Gayle Forman

Published: April 6th 2010
Pages: 234
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★★

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family. 

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

This is one of those books that people have been raving about ever since it came out. How amazing, touching and heartbreaking it is. That it's one of the best books ever written..etc etc. To be honest, I've had this book on my shelf for about a year because I really didn't know what to expect. 

If I stay is a book about a girl that pretty much has to decide if she is going to keep living or if she wants to die after a wreck tears apart her family. While it was sad and pretty well written, it didn't really touch me as strongly as it has touched others. Maybe because I am use to reading sad books or because to me, this book was way too predictable.

When you read the blurb and think about the book, you pretty much get exactly what you would expect. I just found it to be way too basic and cliche. That's really all I have to say about it. I decided to give it three stars because it wasn't an awful book but I don't really understand the hype around it either.

Breathless by Jessica Warman

Published: August 18th 2009
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★

When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn't take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

I loved Between by Warman when I read it back in January of this year. So I've wanted to read Breathless for a while. I found it for an awesome price on Amazon a few weeks ago so I finally got around to reading it. 

I pretty much loved it. The plot was wonderful, the characters were some of my favorites and I just loved the setting that Warman was able to create. My only complaint was the very ending. It was good but I would have loved if she made this into a series instead because as I said before, I loved the Characters and I would have loved if she kept the story going. Also, it was a little slow in places.

Overall I loved it though and if you are interested in reading it, I highly recommend that you do so.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (SPOILER FREE)

Published: October 16th 2012
Pages: 576
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★★

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone super-volcano  Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

To keep this spoiler free, this is going to be a short and basic review.

Ashfall was probably one of my favorite books (if not my favorite) that I've read in 2012 so far so when Ashen Winter came out, I was super excited. However, Ashen Winter topped it by A LOT. I think the writing was better, a lot of character development and I would say that it was more epic then Ashfall. A lot more happened in Ashen Winter and while I wanted to take my time reading it, it was really hard to because it grabbed my attention and held on for dear life. So if you are a fan of books similar to this, I HIGHLY recommend giving The Ashfall Series a try. 

If you have already the books in this series, I would love for you to comment below and let me know your thoughts.

How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan

Published: January 8th 2008
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a confection from David Levithan that is sure to have fans of Boy Meets Boy eager to devour it. Here are 18 stories, all about love, all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down. What is love? With this original story collection, David Levithan proves that love is a many splendor-ed thing, a varied, complicated, addictive, wonderful thing.

As much as I love Levithan, this book was VERY disappointing. The stories were very basic, rushed and they all had a very close plot line from the others. Nothing really stood out and stuck with me. Aside from that, there is really nothing else to say about this book then it wasn't normal Levithan and I didn't care for it at all. Even the story that the book was titled after was very rushed and nothing special.

White Cat by Holly Black

Published: February 18th 2011
Pages: 310
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars:  ★★★

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch of their hands. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to out-con the con-men.

I have heard people raving about Holly Black for a little over a year now but I have never read anything by her before a side from some short stories. So while I was out browsing cheap bookstores, I found the first two books in this series for four dollars a piece and I've heard people say that this was her best series so far.

Anyway, I really enjoyed White Cat and it only took me two days to finish. I loved the Characters Cassel, Lila and the Grandfather but I hated everyone else. Also the character development was lacking and there wasn't much action. Because of this, it took me a little bit to figure out exactly what I should rate this and I settled for 3 stars. It's a series I am defiantly going to keep reading but nothing that I am dying to finish.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Published: November 21st 2011
Pages: 366
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★★★★


What if you could see how your life would unfold--just by clicking a button?

 It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I have wanted to read this book for a long time because Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is one of my favorite books and this seemed like a very cute story. However, I have heard mixed reviews so I waited until I could get it for a cheaper price. So when I got a 40% off coupon for the book store, I made sure to grab this.

The Future of Us follows 16 year Emma and Josh after they discover Facebook 15 years into the future during the 1990s. Most of the book is about them trying to change the future to their liking while still trying to keep their friendship going. I thought that it was a very cute story and probably one of the best YA romance books since Anna and the French Kiss that I have read.The Characters were wonderful and the plot was addicting. It really held my attention very well and I was pleased with the ending.

So if you are looking for a cute YA novel, I highly recommend The Future of Us. In fact, I would love to see a sequel. Maybe to present time.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Published: June 14th 2012
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback (new)
Stars: ★

 Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be contained or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby. But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has deeply hidden away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

First of all I want to say, I had a hard time rating this book at first. Simply because I've read worse books then this but I still pretty much hated it. Why? I hated the characters and this is a book in which there was no character development and nothing really happens. It was basically all about Chloe talking about her sister Ruby. It was almost like Chloe was making up a list on why her sister was perfect yet a bitch at the same time. Then when you find out some things about Ruby, they make almost no sense because there is no reasoning behind it. It was like reading half a book or watching only some of a movie. It was 304 pages but it took me a week to read just because it could not grab my attention.

My advice is to just skip this one. The blurb might seem interesting but to me, it was a big fail.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Published: May 1st 2011
Pages: 359
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★

When her best guy friend falls victim to what seems like a vicious hate crime, 16-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.
Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

This is a book I've wanted to read since it first came out but I wanted until it came out in paperback for some unknown reason. Just something I would pass every time I was at the bookstore. The plot however always jumped out at me because you see a lot of YA books about depressed teenagers and same sex relationships but usually not actual hate crime stories. Sadly it's something that happens all the time but not a lot of authors (YA wise) actually write about it.
Now, I will be the first to say that through most of the book, I didn't like Cat all that much. I just found her to be too goody-goody, younger then she was suppose to be (16) and annoying. But as I got more into the book, the more I liked her.
As for the setting of the book and the other characters, I LOVED. It was very realistic and I felt that I was actually part of the story. The other Characters were raw and very real. The only real complaint I have is that I think certain words were used in the book way too much (cocksucker,   faggot, fag..etc) Which I understand it was realistic and the plot of this book, it worked but I felt that at times, the words were used for the fun of it.
Overall, I would say the plot to this book is very important for younger people to read and even adults because it shows how awful it is to treat people badly because of their sexual per fences and how bad choices hurt everyone around them.