Wrapped (YA)

Wrapped. Jennifer Bradbury. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages.

"Put the book down, darling," my mother said from her chair beside the mirror. 

Wrapped is a great read! I wouldn't say it is a perfect read, but it is so much fun. I wouldn't change a thing. It was just a joy to spend time with this book, with these characters. It's a mystery-romance set in Regency England--1815 to be exact.

Our heroine, Agnes Wilkins, is a delight! I just loved her! I loved almost everything about her. True, I solved the mystery before she did, but I'm not holding that against her. For I think, in many ways, she proves her smarts. She just happened to be a little distracted by her new friend Caedmon.

I definitely loved this one and am happy to recommend it!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fiction , YA Historical Fiction , YA Romance

My Life Undecided (YA)

My Life Undecided. Jessica Brody. 2011. FSG. 320 pages.

The sirens are louder than I anticipated.

I really enjoyed My Life Undecided. It is a fun read, very light, a bit silly, a bit predictable. But there are many satisfying moments in it. And once you've started it, well, it might be difficult to be put down. Not every book has to be oh-so-serious, right?

The heroine of this one, Brooklyn Pierce, struggles with making good decisions. Her life is full of mistakes and regrets. She always thinks she's doing the 'right' thing--like having a party in her mother's model home, while her parents are out of town. But she almost always makes the wrong decision, she chooses what feels good in the moment, and, well, she usually has to face the consequences.

The novel opens with her having to face the consequences...yet again. She's sentenced to community service.

Anyway, she decides early on that since she is horrible at controlling her own life, she'd open up all her decisions to others. She'd start a blog and let readers vote on how she should live her life. Any time she needs to make a decision, she writes a post and creates a poll.


But this decision to blog may not be the best way to live her life after all...

Can Brooklyn grow up and take responsibility for her own life?

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , FSG , library book , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

Into the Parallel (YA)

Into the Parallel. Robin Brande. 2011. Ryer Publishing. 392 pages.

They said it couldn't be done.
Well, that's not exactly true.
They said it couldn't be done by a 17-year-old girl sitting alone in her bedroom on a Saturday morning.
Well, that's not exactly true, either, since it's not like there's some physicist out there who specifically made that prediction--"A seventeen-year-old girl in her pajamas? Never!"--but the point is, no one is going to believe me even if I can prove what happened, which I'm not really sure I can. 
But I know I did it. I was there. I didn't imagine it or dream it or go into some sort of altered state that confused me. I felt the wind. I smelled the dog's breath. I saw our mother. I drank some tea. It all happened. 
So if she's real--and I know she is--I just have to prove it. Go there again and this time bring something back. Like a strand of her hair or a piece of her fingernail.
Something with her DNA on it. To prove that she is me. 

Audie Masters, our heroine, dreams big. She wants to prove that parallel universes exist. She wants to be accepted into Columbia. She wants her best friend's brother, Will. Of course, all three have seemed impossible--at one point or another. But one day one of her dreams does come true.

She travels to a parallel universe. She meets her alternate-self, Halli. And the two become friends--good friends. They like meeting one another. They like comparing and contrasting their realities. It seems that while some things remain the same, there are many, many differences. There are some things about Halli's world that sound really appealing. Then again, there are a few things that seem a little off.

Audie can't help becoming a little obsessed with her discovery, can't help wanting to spend all her free time in this parallel universe, sacrificing sleep and homework. (Not that it is really a sacrifice to her to sacrifice homework!)

But some secrets are too good to keep to yourself, and she contacts a physicist, Professor Whitfield, and she shares her discovery with him, her excitement with him. He is just as thrilled as she is. Especially when he sees her video. But he has some reservations about experimenting too much with travel between worlds (or universes or realities or whatever you want to call it). But isn't that a little too much to expect?

So the novel is about Audie's adventures in both universes, how she balances her two lives. This is the first in the series.

I'm not so sure my review is doing this one justice. I can only say that the characters were well-developed, and the premise was fascinating. This book is easy to spend an afternoon with! Robin Brande is a talented writer. She creates characters that you care about, characters that you feel like you know. It never takes me long to get hooked on one of her books, and Into the Parallel was no exception.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

Withering Tights (YA)

Withering Tights. Louise Rennison. 2011. HarperCollins. 288 pages.

Wow, this is it. This is me growing up. On my own, going to Performing Arts College. This is good-bye, Tallulah, you long, gangly thing, and helloooooo, Lullah, star of stage and ...owwwwooo. Ow and ow. The train lurched and I've nearly knocked myself out on the side of the door. I'm bound to get a massive lump. Oh good, I can start college with two heads...

Tallulah, our fourteen-year-old-heroine, is such a delight. She is on her way to a performing arts summer program in Yorkshire. As she was the last to sign up for the course, she won't be staying in the dorm, there wasn't enough room, but a local family, the Dobbins, has welcomed her into their home. As a reader, I must admit, I'm GLAD there wasn't room for her in the dorm. Else we would have missed out on this quirky family and the squirrel slippers. And Tallulah may not have caught so many glimpses of local bad boy, Cain, outside her window. Not that she likes him likes him.

So what is Withering Tights about? It's about her summer. It's about her going to summer school and taking all these classes. It's about her failing to make a great impression with the teachers, and making a funny impression on her classmates. It's about her making some GREAT friends: Jo, Vaisey, Flossie, Ruby, etc. It's about her meeting a couple of guys and getting her first and second kiss...not that either is perfect. Are the guys worth swooning over? Maybe. There's local bad boy, Cain, whom Tallulah does NOT like in that way, not even a little bit. There's Charlie and Ben, two friends of Jo's crush. There are a group of guys that like hanging around with this group of girls. (No one is exactly pairing up and getting serious.) And then there is Alex. He is THE ONE that makes Tallulah swoon the most. He turns her silly--or should that be sillier. He's also Ruby's older brother.

What did I love about Withering Tights? Well, I loved Tallulah. I just loved her. She was such a fun person to spend time with. I did enjoy Alex. And Cain. And Charlie. (Ben didn't thrill me all that much.) I loved Tallulah's friends. I think Ruby may just be my favorite--she is a bit younger than Tallulah. But there was just something about her that made me smile. The great thing was that none of these friends annoyed me. (One of my biggest annoyances with the Georgia Nicholson series was Georgia's friends. I'm not sure if I found them annoying because Georgia found them annoying. Or if they were just super-obnoxious all on their own.) I loved the humor! I did! For example, ONE of the assignments in this drama school was for them to put on a musical based on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Here's one of the songs she writes:

I'm out on the moors, the wild moors,
Let's roll about in rockpools.
Oh, it gets lonely without you,
I hate you, I love you.
It's Cathy, trying to get in your Windoooooow ow ow ow... (171)

and

I'm out on the moors, the windy moors,
Let's roll about in mud pools,
Or sheep poo, I hate you, I love you, tooooo.
Heathcliff, it's me, tap-tapping on your windooooow. (220)

Of course, that's just a small part of the Bronte humor!

So I'd recommend Withering Tights for anyone who loves funny romances. Of course, anyone who loved and adored Georgia Nicholson should give Tallulah a try. I actually liked Withering Tights more than most of the more recent Georgia novels. There was nothing tired about it.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , friendship , HarperCollins , humor , library book , Summer , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

Possession (YA)

Possession. Elana Johnson. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 416 pages.

Good girls don't walk with boys. Even if they're good boys--and Zenn is the best. 

Possession seems like the kind of book a dystopian-lover would love. But this one proved disappointing to me. The more I read, the more that disappointment grew. I'll try to explain.

It's one thing for a dystopian novel to throw the readers into a foreign world where they're unsure of the rules of the society and culture. But to leave readers confused for over 400 pages? To leave readers struggling to even make sense of the basic story structure? That's a big disappointment. As I said, it's one thing if there are a few missing pieces of the puzzle. The author could have done that on purpose, after all. The reader's confusion could be intentional. But I don't know if I believe that an author would intentionally confuse readers for hundreds of pages. (Well, yes, there's James Joyce and T.S. Eliot. But that's a different story.)

I believe that when you read a book, you should be able to turn the pages and know whose head your inside--who is doing the narrating, whose perspective you're seeing. Call me silly, but, that's just the way I am.

Violet, our heroine, has not been quite as obedient as she should have been. She has a way of unplugging from the messages the authorities send--to everybody--messages that tell them how to live, behave, conform, etc. The voices that 'manage' them. But even if she's not brainwashed--she's still capable of thinking for herself, for the most part, she's not extremely rebellious. She's not out to start a revolution, she's not out to break down the powers that be. She just wants to take a little walk with her match and best friend, Zenn. She just wants to have a little alone time now and then. Of course, that breaks the rules. But it hardly seems fair that such offenses would lead to prison either. But that is just what happens to Vi. In prison she meets another boy, Jag, and if labels are to be believed, he is "bad." But this 'bad boy' has a certain appeal and these two seem to share a common destiny, a common enemy. Once these two team up....well, that's when things get started.

The novel has an interesting premise: a mind-controlling government. And the novel has romance potential. Readers know from the start that Vi will at one point or another be called to choose between the boy from her past (Zenn) and the boy of the moment (Jag). Readers--for better or worse--know more about Jag than Zenn. But that isn't necessarily a horrible thing. Zenn is present for the novel, just not in a romantic, heroic way. And Jag, well, even though he's got hero potential. Well, he's not going to go out of his way to act like a ROMANTIC hero when bigger things are at stake. (I actually like that).

While I didn't fall for Jag myself, that is, I didn't find him swoon-worthy, I can see that Vi and Jag belong together. I think they deserve each other. Jag can get under Vi's skin and drive her crazy. And she can get under his skin and drive him crazy. The things she accuses Jag of, she's guilty of doing herself. And the things Jag accuses Vi of, well, he's just as guilty. If either were with a more honest person, there could be trouble. When these two fight--and they do fight--it's impossible to take sides. Because they're the pot and the kettle.

The ending. What can I say? Am I really more disappointed by the ending than I was the middle? It's not fair to say. I do think it's a bit open, a bit of a cliffhanger. If it is truly 'the end.' It is a LOT more open than most YA novels I read. (Which wouldn't be a bad thing.) If it's just trying to build up suspense for a book two, it's a bit annoying, but what else is to be expected these days? 

I didn't hate Vi. I didn't hate Jag. I didn't hate Zenn. I didn't hate the world Elana Johnson created. I really didn't feel strongly enough about it to hate it. Hate requires passion and energy. It's just that I didn't connect with them enough to "like" the novel. Readers are different. Some people love plot-driven or premise-driven novels. I tend to care more about the characters, to want a story to be character-driven. So there's a chance you might appreciate Possession more than I did.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , dystopia , Simon and Schuster , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

Star-Crossed (YA)

Star-Crossed. Linda Collison. 2006. Random House. 416 pages.

I came aboard with the prostitutes the night before the ship set sail. It was a rash scheme, but I was a brash girl with nothing to my name but a promise.

Patricia Kelley, the heroine of Star-Crossed, was a great annoyance to me throughout the book. I wanted to be honest about that from the start. I don't think that you'll necessarily agree with me on that. And I wouldn't be surprised if others liked this one a lot more than I did.

Some people might not find a stupid clueless heroine such an annoyance. (Star-Crossed reminded me of Emma's Harriet.)

Our heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a gentleman who owns a sugar plantation in Barbados. Perhaps her impressions of her father have been 'helped' by the distance between them, perhaps her impression of him remains what it was when she was still six years old and living at the plantation where she was born. She's spent ten of her sixteen years away at a boarding school in the English countryside for 'gentlemen's daughters.' She believes with all her heart that this school is only for the very, very, finest young ladies. (I'm not completely convinced.) She seems to have complete confidence in the fact that she--the daughter who does not even bear his name--will inherit the plantation. You see, she's learned that her father has died. And she's convinced that if she can just go herself to Barbados, to the plantation, then NATURALLY, everything will go her way.

Not having any money or any friends, she resorts to disguising herself as a prostitute and going on board the merchant ship destined for the West Indies. She's discovered, as might be expected, by a sailor, Brian Dalton, who befriends her. But it is only the fact that she is saved by Dr. MacPherson that keeps her on board after their first stop--for either the captain or the owner--not quite sure which--is very angry to have a stowaway. MacPherson agrees to pay for her passage if she'll be his 'loblolly boy.' She agrees. During the day, she's his assistant. At night--in the early morning hours--she sneaks out of the cabin to find Dalton. He's a most kissable boy when no one is around to see her questionable behavior. She decides she likes some aspects of living at sea. She likes dressing as a boy and playing at doing the work of a sailor--when it's convenient, when there's a cute guy around, etc. BUT for the first third of the novel, she's living in a fantasy world where arriving in Barbados will make her every dream come true. It's not that no one on board is asking her exactly what her plan is, for they all seem to be living in the real world, it's just that our heroine insists that she doesn't need a plan to get what is hers.

Can you predict where this one's going? Maybe that was one of the issues I had with it. Maybe it's an issue you won't have. I could see a few things happening very early on. I could predict what was NOT going to happen at Barbados. And I could predict precisely what was going to happen when it came to the 'romance.'

Another issue I had with this one is that I kept having shouting matches at the heroine. It was SO VERY EASY to shout at her. Not that it did any good. It didn't make her any smarter. It didn't make her have even a little common sense. But I felt better while I was reading it.

So. I didn't hate this one exactly. It could have been MUCH worse. For one, if it had been an adult romance novel, it probably would have included attempted rape/rape scenes. And the doctor would have offered "protection" from other men on the ship--at a cost. So. At least this book wasn't predictable in that way. It was historical adventure with romantic elements. (I didn't find the romantic story enjoyable, but other readers may.) The heroine rather reluctantly perhaps becomes a spunky adventurer/sailor. If the heroine becomes independent and free-thinking by the end of the novel, it is more by chance than design. Well, I'm not sure if that is exactly true. She may just have become better at it. While it's true I didn't like the heroine, I did like some of the minor characters, or the minor-minor characters. (There were some characters that were only in one chapter that I liked better than some of the regulars.)

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So when our heroine returns to the ship actually shocked and devastated by the fact that she is NOT a plantation owner and that she has absolutely nothing to inherit; no money of her own, no place to live, no place to go, etc. She's "comforted" perhaps by two men who love her: Dalton, the boy she just LOVES to make out with. And Dr. MacPherson, a man she has no interest in making out with. Can you guess which one she chooses? Can you guess why?

Our heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a "gentleman" with massive amounts of debts and reckless gambling habits. (Her father also had other illegitimate children. Not that she knew that before she arrived to learn 'the truth.') She has such a high opinion of herself, of her place in society, never doubting FOR ONE LITTLE SECOND that she belongs to the highest ranks of society, never doubting that she is so very very superior to everyone else because her father was a gentleman. She can't understand the basic facts of the case. She is illegitimate. She doesn't share her father's name. Their relationship may have been understood in some circles, and she may been treated fairly well at that boarding school in the country. But a country boarding school isn't exactly London society. You can't very well put on your calling card, illegitimate daughter of Mr. So-and-So. The very fact that she was illegitimate would probably keep her out of the best circles in society. Add to the fact that she has NO MONEY AT ALL. Who in the world would accept a penniless illegitimate daughter into their society? Who would marry her? Who of "her class" would marry her? With NO money and no social connections? Who would "sponsor" her into society at all? Who would "introduce" her into society?

So when she rejects Dalton BECAUSE he is her INFERIOR. Well, it irritated me. Not because I liked Dalton. Not because I preferred him to Dr. MacPherson. Not because Dalton had any personality to him at all. What annoyed me was the why behind it. He's not good enough for her. He is not of her class. She thinks he's DREAMY. She loves to kiss him. She loves to daydream about him. BUT. He's just not quality enough for her. It would be one thing if she was equally attracted to the doctor. But she isn't.

The truth? She's so stuck on herself being somebody big-and-important (even though there's no basis in reality to back this up) that she doesn't see that she doesn't have money, she has no place to call home, she has no way of earning money and THEREFORE it doesn't matter "who" she is. Whether she wants a new beginning or not, she's got one. She could CHOOSE to be with the man she loves best and no one would think a thing of it. There is no society that she belongs to at the moment that would judge her or could judge her. She may think she's the center of the universe, but she's not.

So she chooses who she chooses. And, if I'm being honest, I do actually like Dr. MacPherson. (I think our heroine is not good enough for him. I think he deserved much, much, much better.) The middle section of the novel focuses on her marriage to the doctor. We see her grow--or supposedly grow--into a competent nurse or surgeon mate. I don't know if she grows in intelligence as she matures, but, there are less opportunities for her to be stupid. And, to give her the benefit of the doubt, she could be quite a bit smarter from when we first met her.

The third section of the novel is what happens after her husband dies...how she becomes 'a man' and goes to see as a surgeon mate....and you can guess who she accidentally meets....and how that develops....



© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2006 , Random House , review copy , YA Adventure , YA Fiction , YA Historical Fiction , YA Romance

Front and Center (YA)

Front and Center. Catherine Gilbert Murdock. 2009. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 256 pages.

Here are ten words I never thought I'd be saying...

Dairy Queen and The Off Season. 

D.J. Schwenk, our heroine, is excited to be going back to school. (No, it's not August or September.) But she's been away from home tending to one of her older brothers, Win, after he was seriously injured playing college football. What excites D.J. most--besides returning to a familiar routine--is the fact that it is basketball season. She loves the game, she does. And when she's not worried about pleasing her coach and her family and her teammates and herself and any college coaches or scouts that may be watching her every little move, she's quite good at it. But it's not without pressure. For her coach--wanting only what is best for her--is encouraging her to start looking ahead to college, to start calling different coaches at different universities and seeing what scholarship possibilities there may be for her when the time comes. Yes, she's only a junior, but the time to act is now. If she puts it off until next year, well, chances are that there will be fewer opportunities. But what bothers D.J, what bothers Coach K, what bothers her brother, Win, is D.J.'s inability to vocalize on the court. She sees what needs to be done, but she doesn't speak up. She has all the skills needed to be a great player, but there is something holding her back. And the sooner she finds her voice, the better.

D.J. doesn't like being the 'front and center' of attention. She doesn't like the way one of her best friends, Beaner, is looking at her. He wants more from her than friendship. And while part of her wants a distraction from her heartbreak--her disappointing relationship with Brian Nelson--another part of her knows that she could never, ever feel anything close to romantic love for Beaner. He's great for laughs, great for hanging out with, he's a good guy, a nice guy, but. He's no Brian. Now she tries to talk herself into the relationship, using his very differences from Brian to show that he has to be a better match for her. But still. D.J. knows that it won't really work out.

I loved all three books in the series. I loved D.J. I loved her family. I loved how these novels were about D.J. finding herself and getting to be more comfortable in her own skin. Each book we see a vulnerable D.J. get just a little bit stronger, a little bit better, a little more confident. These novels have heart. They may be about sports--football and basketball--but they are character-driven too!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2009 , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , review copy , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance , YA Sports

Doggirl (MG/YA)

Doggirl. Robin Brande. 2011. Ryer Publishing. 269 pages. 

I believe in signs. And this one said: Dog trainer needed immediately. Must provide own dog. I snatched the paper off the announcement board before anyone else could see it. 

Riley Case is a girl after my own heart, and her story touched me.

Riley is amazing with animals; she has been from the time she was baby. And she can make friends almost instantaneously with animals--dogs, cats, birds, you name it. She's been training her dogs after school, teaching them new tricks, and loving every minute of it. She's just as eager as they are to be reunited at the end of each school day. She just has a way about her. She's a natural.

But with people, it's a different story. Riley doesn't feel comfortable with people--at all. They scare her, intimidate her. She's so afraid of being rejected, so afraid of being laughed at or picked on, that she'd prefer to spend her school days being ignored. Being invisible. Blending in with the background. That is what she prefers. Or what she thinks she prefers. She may not have friends. She may not have a social life. But she feels it could always be worse.

It would be worse if she tried with all her heart to make friends...and failed. It would be worse if she made a best friend....only to lose her again.

So when Riley learns of this opportunity to be a dog trainer, this opportunity for her dogs to star in the school play, she's thrilled. Does that mean she doesn't have doubts and insecurities about this whole project? No. She's not worried about her dogs, no, they'll be just great with these new people. It's herself she's worried about. Will she 'ruin' her new start? Will she be too awkward? Will she say the wrong thing? What if she does something stupid, something embarrassing? What if she earns herself a string of nicknames? What if this project leads to her humiliation? What if she starts crying and can't stop?

Riley has strengths. She does. She even knows exactly what they are. But her confidence is still a little shaky in some areas. What Riley needs are some good friends. Friends that will listen; friends that will love. Riley needs to learn to laugh and smile and just be.

I loved this one. I just LOVED this one! I loved Riley, I did. I could relate to her in so many ways! And I loved the story, loved the pacing. I loved Riley's journey. I loved the process of her development and growth. It wasn't too fast or too slow. It was just right. And Nate?! Well, I'm quite happy with him!!! Their conversations together were great! I loved their last scene together, it was giddy-making! I'd share it with you, but, that would be saying too much!

My second-favorite scene would probably be the one between Beverly, the volunteer seamstress--a senior, I believe--and Riley.

"Do you think I'm...okay?"
Beverly gave me a funny look. "Okay, how?"
"You know...normal. Like someone...you could be friends with. I mean, not you, but I mean like...anyone." I covered my face my hands. "I never know how to talk."
Beverly peeled one of my hands away and held onto it. "Riley, if you're asking me whether you're the kind of person I could be friends with, the answer is yes. Because we are. And if you're asking me whether other people like you, the answer is still yes, they do. Is that what you want to know?"
I nodded.
"In case you haven't noticed, everyone in here is just a little bit...unusual. If we didn't have each other, we'd all be roaming the halls calling out, 'Friend! I need a friend!' Sometimes it just takes a while to figure out where you fit. You know?" (193-94)

I loved Doggirl because it felt so honest, so genuine. It's a novel with a lot of heart. And it's not just a novel about a friendless girl finding a place to belong. It's a book for animal-lovers--specifically dog-lovers--and a book for those that love drama and theater--or creative writing, or film-making. It's for any one who has ever felt different. (It may just be a novel for everyone.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , animals , coming of age , dogs , review copy , school , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

Ruby Red (YA)

Ruby Red. Kerstin Gier. 2011. Henry Holt. 336 pages.

I first felt it in the school canteen on Monday morning. For a moment it was like being on a roller-coaster when you're racing down from the very top. It lasted only two seconds, but that was long enough for me to dump a plateful of mashed potatoes and gravy all over my school uniform. I managed to catch the plate just in time, as my knife and fork clattered to the floor.

Gwyneth Shephard has been waiting and watching knowing that at any minute her cousin, Charlotte, could disappear. For Charlotte has the gene, the time traveling gene that has been passed down through the women in the family. Charlotte has had several dizzy spells the last week, but so far, she's remained in her own time.

How does her family "know" that Charlotte is the one? Well, according to the prophecy--or the prediction--the one will have been born on October 7th. Gwyneth, who was born on October 8th, has nothing to worry about. She's not the one.

Does she want to be the one? She's never really given it that much thought. Every member of her family has their own eccentricity, their own "gift." Even if those gifts are just laughable--such as her great-aunts visions. No one takes those visions seriously. And no one--outside her best friend--takes Gwen's gift seriously, Gwen's gift of seeing ghosts.

So what will happen to this very strange, very dysfunctional family when the "wrong" girl vanishes into the past? For Gwyneth it is beyond confusing. She never knows when it will happen, when she'll be pulled back into the past, at what year she'll travel to, what dangers she may be facing, how long she'll stay before returning to her own time. What Gwyneth needs most are answers to her questions.

But answers are hard to come by. For the guardians like to keep their secrets. And Gideon her traveling companion? Well, what does she really know about him? Except for the fact that he feels cheated or disappointed. So they're not off to the best of starts...

I liked Ruby Red. I'm not sure I loved it. It made me curious, I won't lie. But there are still so many questions. I do feel this is just the beginning, that this was just the prologue for all that is to come. So it's got some promise, some potential. But on it's own, well, it doesn't quite satisfy. It leaves me wanting the next book. (Which is NOT a bad thing necessarily!)


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , Henry Holt , international literature , review copy , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

Beauty Queens (YA/Adult)

Beauty Queens. Libba Bray. 2011. Scholastic.  400 pages.

This book begins with a plane crash. We do not want you to worry about this. According to the U.S. Department of Unnecessary Statistics, your chances of dying in a plane crash are one in half a million. Whereas your chances of losing your bathing suit bottoms to a strong tide are two to one. So, all in all, it's safer to fly than to go to the beach. As we said, this book begins with a plane crash. But there are survivors. You see? Already it's a happy tale. They are all beauty queen contestants. You do not need to know their names here. But you will get to know them. They are all such nice girls. Yes, they are nice, happy, shining, patriotic girls who happen to have interests in baton twirling, sign language, AIDS prevention in the animal population, the ancient preparation of popadam, feminine firearms, interpretive dance, and sequins. Such a happy story. And shiny, too.

Beauty Queens has action, adventure, drama, romance, and humor. I can't promise that you'll love Beauty Queens--or even like Beauty Queens. I'm not even sure how I feel about it. It kept me reading. It was over-the-top. It was sarcastic. It was funny. Perhaps some of the humor is a bit twisted, a bit out of the ordinary, a bit insane. A satire of sorts I believe examining our culture, our society, our obsession with reality TV, our obsession with beauty and fashion and celebrity status, our commercialism, our materialism. I do believe there were some hidden and not-so-hidden messages that tend towards the truth--minus some of the exaggeration and ridiculousness. So part of me thought Beauty Queens was clever. At least clever in premise. For I do believe that Beauty Queens is driven by the premise. It is a story where beauty queens battle to survive and are forced to come to terms with who they are as individuals without the attention, without the glamor, without the immediate need to be objectified and validated by others, by society. In other words, can these thirteen survivors get beyond the pretty?

If Beauty Queens has a weakness, it is that the book lacks in believability and characterization. While half the girls are more realized than the others--some we never even learn their names, we just know their state--few really reach their full potential. Perhaps because this novel is told through so many narrators. Or perhaps because we're told more than we're shown. Readers first see stereotypes, then ever so slowly, readers learn more about the characters. Readers come to see them grow through the novel. But some of this growth is a little too sudden. In one chapter they'll be doing this, saying that--and then the next chapter, it seems they've radically changed into better, stronger, smarter, more empowered women. We do follow their individual journeys; we do learn their secrets one by one. So I'm not saying the novel is lacking in all characterization. Perhaps just that it's a bit uneven?

Did I like it? Did I love it? I'm not sure I can say either. I found it a compelling read. I found it hard to put down. I had the need to know what happened next. I found myself smiling at some of the foot notes and some of the commercials and advertisements. I do think this one is so unique, so creative--at least at this moment*--that it will be hard to forget it. I can definitely see the appeal to this one. But did I personally love it--like LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it? Probably not. Still, it was a good way to spend the afternoon.

*There was probably a time when "good" vampires were unique.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , humor , review copy , Scholastic , Survival , YA Action , YA Adventure , YA Fiction , YA Romance

As I Wake (YA)

As I Wake. Elizabeth Scott. 2011. September 2011. Penguin. 224 pages.

Wake up.
I'm in bed. Sheets and blankets tucked around me, my legs sprawled out like I've fallen. No light in the room except faint yellow and a darker, colder gleam shining through the window, its curtains only partly closed.
Where I am?
I don't know these sheets, this bed, this room.
I look down at myself, see soft fabric wrapping me from neck to knees. My feet are bare.
There are dark shapes all around.

You never quite know what you're going to get with an Elizabeth Scott novel. This certainly wasn't Bloom or Perfect You or Living Dead Girl or Grace. Then again, that's one of the things that I love about Elizabeth Scott. She never stops surprising me.

As I Wake is part mystery, part science fiction novel. Ava, our heroine, wakes up one day without her memory. There's a woman, Jane, claiming to be her mom. There's a group of teens claiming to be her best friends--Greer, Sophy, Olivia. There's a cute guy, Ethan, whom her friends tell her is her crush. But Ava remembers nothing. There's not a single memory to match her with the life she's supposedly lived. But it's not just that she has no memories of being Ava, it's that she has memories of being a different Ava. The memories that come to her, well, they just don't fit in with what she knows about Ava. Certain people are triggering memories--just not the right memories. So what's going on? That's the mystery Ava and readers have to solve...

I enjoyed this one. I can't say I understood it all while I was reading. I can't even say I'm sure that I understand it now after finishing it and thinking about it for a couple of hours. But was it a compelling read? Yes.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , Penguin USA , review copy , YA Fiction , YA Mystery , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

What Happened To Goodbye (YA)

What Happened To Goodbye. Sarah Dessen. 2011. Penguin. 416 pages.

The table was sticky, there was a cloudy smudge on my water glass, and we'd been seated for ten minutes with no sign of a waitress. Still, I knew what my dad would say. By this point, it was part of the routine. 

I love Sarah Dessen. I do. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her work. I love her characters, her stories, her writing. I love how easy it is to love her books. She makes it easy to love reading. There's just something wonderful about them. I've never once been disappointed. So it shouldn't really surprise anyone that I loved What Happened to Goodbye.

Mclean Sweet sometimes wishes things could be as simple as loving her dad and hating her mom. Since her parents have divorced, Mclean has had to reinvent herself again and again and again and again. Her dad has a job that requires him to move around a lot. He's been hired by a company to "fix" problem restaurants. (Think Kitchen Nightmares with less yelling!) Sometimes he's able to "save" the restaurant, and they move on to the next place, the next town or state. Sometimes he's not able to save a place--no matter how much time and energy he puts into a place--and they move on. In each town, Mclean gives herself a new name--a new personality, a new identity. Knowing that she can recreate herself into someone new--if only for a few months--gives her a sense of peace. Temporary peace, perhaps, but it helps her cope with what her life has become since the divorce. The divorce that she totally blames her mom for. I mean how could HER mom have an affair with the head coach of her dad's favorite basketball team? How could she become pregnant and leave them both behind? Why doesn't her mom get why she is so angry? Mclean feels she just doesn't belong in this new family with her half-siblings and her stepfather.

But she does find herself belonging here in this town, in this school, with her wonderfully strange friends, with her wonderfully strange neighbor, Dave. For the first time in a long time, Mclean can practice being honest--with herself, with her boyfriend, with her friends, with her dad, with her mom. Perhaps it's just as difficult for her to be honest with her parents as it is to be honest with herself. For in all her inventing, Mclean has lost pieces of herself. She's lost herself and buried her pain deep, deep inside. But it may just be time for Mclean to heal. In Lakeview, she may just find the support she needs.

I enjoyed this one. I liked Mclean. I liked her parents. I liked how complex these relationships are. How life can't be as simple as hating her mom and loving her dad. I liked how challenging these relationships are. I liked how we get Mclean's perspective--but not so blindly that readers can't see things from the other side. And it was great to see her relationship with her dad. How much she loves him and takes care of him. But also how he's there for her when she needs him. He's not perfect, but I do think he cares very much for his daughter. Her friends. I also liked them. Especially Deb and Dave. I love how eccentric yet believable her characters are! And I liked Dave as the love interest!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Penguin USA , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

Stay (YA)

Stay. Deb Caletti. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages.

First off, I've never told this story to anyone. Not the entire thing anyway, and not entirely truthfully.

Clara, our heroine, is struggling to escape a bad relationship. Told in alternating chapters--present and past--readers meet Christian, Clara's ex-boyfriend, and see all the warning signs. The signs that Clara herself missed during the early months of her relationship. The signs that Christian was a little too insecure, a little too jealous, a little too controlling, a little too possessive, a little too much to handle. Clara finds him wonderfully comforting at once. Wow--a guy who cares about every little thing that I do. But Clara soon finds herself in an uncomfortable position. For Christian's imagination combined with his anger issues leads to trouble.

But Clara is not alone. No, Clara's father--though flawed--is there for her. Even willing to take an extended-extended vacation to help his daughter escape her ex. The two go away together--telling no one where they'll be staying--hoping that Christian won't be able to track them down, won't be able to reach them there.

So Stay is about second chances, starting over, and being honest. It's a novel just as much about fathers and daughters as it is girlfriends and boyfriends.

I liked it. I really liked it. I thought it was well written. But. I'm not sure that Stay would be my "favorite and best" Caletti novel. But. Deb Caletti is a great author whose YA romances I've *really, really* enjoyed in the past. I've reviewed The Queen of Everything, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye, The Nature of Jade, and The Secret Life Of Prince Charming.

Oddly enough, Stay reminded me of all the reasons why I don't love Edward Cullen. 

He was taking care of me. You take care of the people you love, but it's true, too, that you take care of the things you own. (74)

"One of the hardest tasks as a human being is knowing when to keep an open mind," my father said, "And when not to." (97)

I guess that's what safety is. Sameness you can count on. (179)

I learned that the most true-love words are not ones that grasp and hold and bind you, twisting you both up together in some black dance. No, they are ones that leave you free to stand alone on your own solid ground, leave him to do the same, a tender space between you. (233)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

City of Fallen Angels (YA)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. (Mortal Instruments #4) 2011. Simon & Schuster. 424 pages.

"Just coffee, please."

The first three books in the Mortal Instruments series are The City of Bones, The City of Ashes, and The City of Glass. I wasn't anticipating a fourth novel, but, I was pleased to read it all the same! Even though I don't like paranormal romances--romances (dark or light; comic or tragic) that star vampires, werewolves, faeries, wizards, warlocks, demons, and the like, I can't help wanting to follow Clary's story. Or Simon's story. Or Jace's story. I read the first book and I was hooked. (It's a very good thing I read it before I got burned out on all things paranormal!)

The story begins shortly after the conclusion of The City of Glass. Simon is still getting adjusted to his transformation. And it may take quite a while. Because at times Simon doesn't feel like himself at all. And sometimes he can't explain his own behavior, his own desires. And Simon is not the only guy in Clary's life having issues. No, Jace, is having MAJOR issues. He's madly, deeply, in love with Clary. BUT. He's having anxiety issues nonetheless. He's having recurring nightmares about killing his girlfriend. And, of course, he's afraid to talk about his dreams with anyone....

This one has danger, action, adventure, temptation, and plenty of suspense. For fans of the series, I'd imagine it's very satisfying! (I know I enjoyed it!) For fans of paranormal, you should definitely give this series a try. But read the books in order, of course! If you're not a big fan of paranormal romance--if talk of demons, faeries, vampires, and werewolves as love interests doesn't thrill you, then this one probably isn't for you. Not that I'd discourage you from giving it a try--I mean, if you've NEVER tried paranormal romance, maybe you don't know if it's for you or not. For me, I'm glad to keep in touch with these characters even if the genre itself doesn't thrill me.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA Romance

A Brief History of Montmaray (YA)

A Brief History of Montmaray. Michelle Cooper. 2009. Random House. 304 pages.

23rd October 1936
Dear Sophie,
Happy birthday to my favorite little sister! I've been trying to recollect the day you were born so I can gush about it in an appropriately sentimental fashion, but I'm afraid it's all a blank.

Sophie FitzOsborne lives an isolated life with her younger sister, Henry, her cousin Veronica, and her mad-uncle John who happens to be King. Except for a handful of villagers and/or servants that make up the "kingdom" of Montmaray, they are the island's only residents. (Toby, her brother, and Simon, the housekeeper's son, being away in England for most of the novel.) But they may not stay isolated for long. The year is 1936, and for whatever reason--bad luck, bad timing, whatever--the Germans have become interested in the island-kingdom. Small though it may be, there is a library in the castle that one or two visiting Germans would just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to be allowed to explore. But with mad-uncle John still incredibly, fiercely angry at the Germans because of The Great War, the two girls (Sophie and Veronica) dare not let them near the castle. For who knows what King John would do if he discovered Germans on HIS island.

Sophie, our young heroine, is coming of age at an increasingly dangerous time. Plenty of tension and conflict when it comes to European politics and the like. And of course, there is the every day drama of growing up. Should Sophie accept her aunt's invitation to "a season" in London? Should Sophie leave her island home for a big, grand adventure in the city? Her aunt's invitation included Veronica as well. But Sophie knows it would take a LOT of convincing to get Veronica off the island. Because she is VERY VERY busy writing a "Brief History of Montmaray." Sophie may just discover that "love" is a tricky business too.

Historical fiction with plenty of mystery--lies, secrets, murder!

I very much enjoyed Michelle Cooper's A Brief History of Montomaray. I can't wait to begin the sequel, The FitzOsbornes in Exile, which was released this month.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2009 , brothers and/or sisters , Random House , review copy , war , YA Fiction , YA Historical Fiction , YA Mystery , YA Romance

Outside In (YA)

Outside In. Maria V. Snyder. 2011. Harlequin. 336 pages.

My world changed in a heartbeat, that's how it felt to me. As if one second ago, I was Trella the lower level scrub, cleaning the air and water ducts of Inside, and now I am Trella the victorious leader of the Force of Sheep rebellion.

After the rebellion, after the Lowers proved to themselves and the Uppers that their voice was worth being heard, Trella thought life would start to improve. But a series of terrorist actions threaten everything--soon Trella doesn't know who to trust. For the truth is, no one is quite sure who the enemy is. Is the enemy an old threat or a new foe?

This one is the sequel to Maria V. Snyder's Inside Out. Both books are science fiction. Both are set in space--on space ships. Both have plenty of action and adventure. There's definitely a romantic story to both books. As our heroine, Trella, struggles with matters of the heart under extreme stress. Her world is in danger, yet, she's falling in love.

I enjoyed both books. I found both to be quick reads.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , dystopia , Harlequin , library book , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

Matched (YA)

Matched. Ally Condie. 2010. Penguin. 369 pages.

Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night? My wings aren't white or feathered; they're green, made of green silk, which shudders in the wind and bends when I move--first in a circle, then in a line, finally in a shape of my own invention. The black behind me doesn't worry me; neither do the stars ahead.

Cassia, the heroine of this dystopian YA novel, is on her way to her Match banquet. This is THE night where she will learn the identity of the man she'll spend the rest of her life with. It's also the day Cassia turns seventeen. Just one of many coincidences, perhaps, of Ally Condie's Matched.

For it is revealed that her match is her best friend, Xander. Usually, one's match is a complete stranger. The fact that she knows him--that she knows and loves him--well, it's a strange coincidence. But that's just the beginning. For when she looks on her microcard, a microcard that should be full of pictures and background information on her match--she catches a glimpse of another friend, Ky. For a moment, only a moment, it appears that Cassia has two matches. This kind of mistake should NEVER happen. And it's corrected by a visiting Official who tries her best to convince Cassia that it was a mistake, nothing more. Ky could never, ever, ever be her real match. Because he's not good enough to be anyone's match.

Any guesses which young man Cassia starts to fall in love with?

I enjoyed Matched. I wouldn't say that I loved it absolutely. But I enjoyed it. I found it entertaining and satisfying. I liked Cassia. I liked Ky. I liked Xander. I liked Cassia's family. Her brother, Bram, her father and mother, her grandfather. I was interested in the world Condie created. I liked the role poetry played in this one. How forbidden poems were used to help reveal some of the mysteries. It just worked for me.

Favorite quotes:

The almost-snow reminds me of a line from a poem we studied this year in Language and Literacy: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." It is one of my favorites of all the Hundred Poems, the ones our Society chose to keep, back when they decided our culture was too cluttered. They created commissions to choose the hundred best of everything: Hundred Songs, Hundred Paintings, Hundred Stories, Hundred Poems. The rest were eliminated. Gone forever. For the best, the Society said, and everyone believed because it made sense. How can we appreciate anything fully when overwhelmed with too much? (29)

Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs. (65)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , dystopia , library book , Penguin USA , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

XVI (YA)

XVI. Julia Karr. 2011. Penguin. 272 pages.

"Nina, look." Sandy jabbed me in the ribs.

XVI is a new dystopian novel. I love dystopian novels, usually. But I wasn't loving this one. I didn't connect to the characters. I didn't believe the romance. I failed to connect with the story, with this new world Karr created.

Nina Oberon is the star of this one. Her best friend, Sandy, is unbelievably annoying--though still a few weeks from her sixteenth birthday, she's acting like a sex-teen already. In other words, she's stopped thinking and has bought into the media's belief system completely. Why is Nina best friends with Sandy? Well, it's hard for readers to know for sure. I can only assume that a few years ago, Sandy, had to be less annoying and more likable.

Nina also has a younger sister, Dee. Since their mother is murdered fairly early in the novel, it becomes Nina's responsibility to protect Dee from her father, Ed. So Nina's life is getting crazier by the day, and trying to make sense of her life, her world, what everything means, well, it could be a full time job. Nina does make a few new friends, friends that are actually capable of thinking, to help her in this difficult time, this dangerous time.

One of these new friends is a guy named Sal. Though Nina is convinced she is not ready for a boyfriend, she can't help wanting Sal in her life. She can't stop thinking about him, wanting him, needing him. Will Sal help her solve some of the big mysteries in her life? Will Sal help keep her safe?

So why didn't I love this one? Why didn't I like it? Why didn't I like Nina and Sal? I'm not sure. It just felt a little lacking. I just felt disappointed with it. It could be just bad timing. You may love this one. (I hope you do enjoy it more than I did.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , dystopia , library book , Penguin USA , YA Fiction , YA Mystery , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

Wither (YA)

Wither. Laura DeStefano. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 368 pages.

I wait. They keep us in the dark for so long that we lose sense of our eyelids. We sleep huddled together like rats, staring out, and dream of our bodies swaying. I know when one of the girls reaches a wall. She begins to pound and scream--there's metal in the sound--but none of us help her. We've gone too long without speaking, and all we do is bury ourselves more into the dark. The doors open. The light is frightening. It's the light of the world through the birth canal, and at once the blinding tunnel that comes with death. I recoil into the blankets with the other girls in horror, not wanting to begin or end.

Did I like Wither? Yes! I really LOVED it! One of the best 2011 books that I've read so far. Rhine Ellery knows almost exactly when she'll die--and why she'll die. Mad scientists, so called geniuses, from previous generations have manipulated human genes too much. Having created the "oh-so-perfect" generation of children, they've cursed the human race. Every woman dies from a deadly virus at age 20. Every man dies from that virus at age 25.Will there be a cure found in Rhine's lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. She's just sixteen. But she's not that hopeful. Rhine knows one thing for sure. She does NOT want to spend her remaining years in a forced marriage with two other sister wives. Even if her husband, Linden, is ignorant of how his three wives really came to be his. Even if he doesn't know the truth about his father's schemes and manipulations. No, Rhine wants to be free, needs to be free. She wants to find her twin brother, Rowan, and live the rest of her days free. But will she find a way to escape?

I enjoyed Wither! I enjoyed spending time with Rhine and her sister wives, Cecily, the youngest, Jenna, the oldest. I also enjoyed spending time with Gabriel, one of the servants who works at the estate. Their developing friendship adds a great deal of excitement to the novel! I didn't hate Linden. While Rhine may not have fallen for him, may not have found that lifestyle tolerable under any circumstances, I can't help pitying him.

Overall, I found the novel fascinating and compelling. The world Lauren DeStefano created was haunting and horrible and so wonderfully developed. I'd definitely recommend this one.

She wanders down one of the aisles, and I follow her as she runs her finger along the spines of books, taps one of them, eases it out of its place. The book is dusty, the cover eaten away, the pages yellow and brittle as she flips through them. All of these books are from the twenty-first century or earlier, which isn't very strange. The television also airs old movies, and most shows are set in the past. It has become a form of escapism to visit a world in which people live a long time. What was once real and natural has become a fantasy. "There are lots of love stories here," she says. "They either end happily, or everyone dies." She laughs, but it sounds more like a sob. "What else is there, right?" (86)

A few minutes later we're huddled under a blanket on a couch in the sitting room, sharing a gallon of vanilla ice cream she ordered from the kitchen, and we're watching an early-morning rerun of yesterday's soap opera. Along with the romance novels, these are another of her guilty pleasures. The actors are all teenagers made up to look much older. Jenna tells me they're constantly changing the actors, since of course the show has been on for more than a decade and the original actors have died by now. The only consistent actors are first generations. And as she's explaining to me who's in a coma and who unknowingly married an evil twin, both of us bathed in the television's glow, I do start to relax a little. (243)

You might also be interested in reading: Divergent by Veronica Roth, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.



© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , dystopia , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Action , YA Fiction , YA Mystery , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction , YA Suspense

Bloom (YA)

Bloom. Elizabeth Scott. 2007. Simon & Schuster. 240 pages.

I guess I kept hoping some kind of miracle would happen.

Little did I know when I first read Bloom almost four years ago that Elizabeth Scott would become one of my favorite, favorite authors. (Her other romances include: The Unwritten Rule, Stealing Heaven, Perfect You, and Something Maybe. Her dramas include: Love You Hate You Miss You, Living Dead Girl, and Grace.) All I knew was that I'd discovered a giddy-making romance that reminded me of Valley Girl. And that was enough, more than enough, to keep me interested, to keep me wanting more.

Lauren, our heroine, is unhappy. She knows she should be happy, be content, with her life. Her boyfriend, Dave, is perfect. Everyone says so, so it must be so. But their romance has no sizzle. It's as exciting as watching grass grow. Remembering their early days, Lauren isn't sure if it was ever love--if there was ever a spark of passion, of love, between them. It was just so new, so exciting, to be wanted by someone, and not just anyone, but someone so popular, so loved.

Katie, her best friend, is someone she doesn't trust to listen to her problems. Perhaps because she knows that Katie's boyfriend is such good friends with Dave. Or perhaps because Katie monopolizes what time they do have together by talking about her boyfriend, her life, her problems. Would Katie listen if Lauren tried to speak up? We'll never know. It's certainly not Katie's fault--as a friend--that Lauren never makes the attempt to be open and honest.

For Lauren is not being open and honest with anyone in her life--not her boyfriend, not her best friend, not her dad. But there is one guy in her life, a new guy who is no stranger, Evan Kirkland. For a few months, these two were childhood friends. He being the son of her father's girlfriend, Mary. But when that relationship fell apart--as all her father's relationships fell apart--the two lost touch. Evan, all grown-up, takes Lauren's breath away. He's swoon-worthy in a non-traditional way. He's someone that for better or worse, Lauren can't help wanting and needing. With him, she can be real, she can be herself, she can be open and honest, she can be vulnerable and needy. Dave and Evan are complete opposites. Only one guy is right for her, but will she be brave enough to make the right choice? Or will she let what 'everyone else thinks' keep her from finding what her heart wants most: unconditional love.

I suddenly realize that he's nervous, just like me, but he went ahead and took a chance. People don't usually do that. I mean, I know people think teenagers hang naked out of cars and whatever, but you know, high school isn't an environment that encourages you to do anything other than exactly what everyone else is doing. (51)

"Are you late to work?" I ask.
"A little. They offered me extra hours this week, and I can take them so..."
"I'm sorry," I say. "You didn't have to drive me home."
"I know. I wanted to."
He wanted to. I may be sitting in his car, but really I'm floating. (56)

I would definitely recommend this one! I'd recommend all of Elizabeth Scott's books!


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2007 , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance