Review: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

                                      Book: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
                                      Pages: 224
                                      Genre: Young Adult, Romance
                                      Source: Library

Short Synopsis: Noelle is constantly being bullied at school. Each day is about surviving, and even her boyfriend Matt doesn't want to be seen with her in public. It isn't until she meets a boy named Julian Porter, when her whole life starts to change.

My Thoughts: Wow. There is no words for what I felt about this novel. Very emotional, and very eye opening. 

A romantic and empowering book about bullying
Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.
--From Goodreads

A very interesting and entertaining novel. The main character, Noelle is a victim of a bully, just because she doesn't have as much money as the rest of the kids at her school. Her mother isn't very considerate, and takes her for granted, and expects Noelle to chip in on all the work, leaving Noelle, with no form of money for herself.

Noelle is quiet and angry, as she endures all the ridicule, the harsh comments, and the constant threats, Noelle keeps everything inside, because she knows that if she does in fact tell someone, the bullying will only get worse. I hated the scene where Nolle had paint balls shot at her as a prank, and even then, didn't out who really did it. I kept rooting for Noelle to speak up and do something about her situation.

And though it was probably intentional, I hated her "boyfriend" Matt. Something should have registered with Noelle that if you're boyfriend didn't want to be seen with you in public, than either he is hiding something, or he isn't worthy of you. And I despised the girls that bullied her. Just because Noelle doesn't have as much money as the rest of them, didn't mean she deserved to be treated as such. And though I don't like giving away spoilers, when something happened to their fellow classmate, I despised the fact that all the popular girls had a right to act the way they did, when they were the ones to cause the mess in the first place. 

I enjoyed reading how Julian and Noelle grew to know each other, and the fact that Noelle was different from others, that he didn't care, and he didn't give up on her. I despised Noelle's mother, and the fact that her mother didn't really care about Noelle until the end, when Noelle finally spoke up, only angered me more about her mother. All in all, a very moving and heartfelt novel, about bullies and being bullied, and having the courage to do something and speak out about it.

Would I recommend this book: Yes!

Rating: I give this book a 4.5/5. 

Waiting On Wednesday!

Hey fellow readers! It's another posting of Waiting On Wednesday! Hosted by Breaking The Spine, this week's pre-publication is...





Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)
by Ally Carter
Expected Release Date: February 5, 2013

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.
-- From Amazon

I've followed along with this series since the beginning and absolutely loved it. I enjoy reading Carter's writing style immensely. I love reading about spies, especially since they're teens, and I loved reading about Hale and Kat's relationship. This one seems a bit different, but I'm dying to read anyway. Be sure to leave your link so I can see what pre-publication you are waiting on.

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking

                                       Book: Wake by Amanda Hocking
                                       Pages: 309
                                       Genre: Young Adult, paranormal
                                       Source: Sent from St. Martin's Griffin

Short Synopsis: Gemma, an average girl, who starts falling for her next door neighbor, named Alex, falls into the wrong crowd of three beautiful, but very dangerous girls, named Penn, Thea, and Lexi.

My Thoughts: Though the plot was interesting, this novel wasn't quite as good as Amanda Hocking's Trylle series. 

Gemma is a normal girl who loves swimming. She goes to late night swims on the beach, as well as swim practice everyday, and hopes to make it to the olympics one day. But aside from her swimming, she also leads a relatively normal life as well.
She starts falling for Alex, the boy next door, whose a bit older than she is, and is about to go away to college in the fall. But Gemma can't help how she feels for Alex, and before she knows it, they are involved in a relationship.
And Gemma as well as everyone else can't help but notice the three beautiful, but extremely creepy girls, named Penn, Thea and Lexi. And for some reason, these three girls have targeted Gemma to join their group. And if things weren't strange enough, there have been a string of missing teenage boys and no one knows who, what, or how these boys were taken. Gemma must get to the bottom of the missing boys, as one of the missing boys is an acquaintance. Gemma has a sneaky suspicion, that the girls might be involved. Can Gemma figure things out before she gets roped into the girls' business?

I have to admit, that this novel did take me awhile to get into. I'm not usually a fan of water creatures, but this novel had an interesting plot. I don't think I've read a character quite like Gemma. She gets involved with a group who tricks her in becoming one of them, and instead of going along with it, she seems reluctant, and doing everything in her power to not become one of them. 

I wasn't a fan of the greek mythology behind it, and maybe it's just me, but I was a bit confused by the story behind it, and it wasn't really explained why there needed to be a fourth involved, just that it was a curse that couldn't be broken. 

I enjoyed reading the relationship between Alex and Gemma, as well as the side relationship between Harper, Gemma's sister, and her love interest, Daniel. All four characters had great chemistry, especially with Harper and Daniel.

It was interesting to read about the the disappearance of the boys and how they related between the girls. It wasn't something that I was expecting, and I felt sympathy for Gemma, when she finds a missing body, and what she had to deal with, with the girls. All in all, not one of her best series, but I still look forward to reading more about Gemma and her adventures. 

Would I recommend this book: Sure

Rating: I give this book a 3.5/5. 

Review: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

                                               Book: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
                                               Pages: 241
                                               Genre: Young Adult, Romance
                                               Source: Library

Short Synopsis: Brooke is in love with Scott. She's about to tell him the truth after keeping quiet for two whole years. But when she backs down, due to her nerves. But then she finds out that Scott is moving away! There's only one thing Brooke can do...

My Thoughts: This is the first novel I've read of Colasanti's work, and I devoured it in just a couple hours!

When Brooke discovers that the love of her life, Scott Abrams, is moving from their New Jersey suburb to New York City for senior year, she decides to follow hime there. Living with her estranged father and adjusting to a whole new school are challenging--and things get even worse when she finds out that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she learns to navigate the big city, she starts to discover a whole new side of herself, and realizes that sometimes love can find you even when you're not looking for it.
--From Amazon

Wow! There was so much that I loved about this novel. However, there was also quite a bit that bothered me as well. I loved reading this fast paced entertaining story about friendship, finding love, and doing anything for that person. 

When first reading this novel, My main reaction of Brooke was that she was either pretty daring or pretty stupid that she changed her whole life and moved to a whole new area just for someone she thought she loved. First, it wasn't stated if Scott had a girlfriend or not, and if you're not sure of the other's relationship status, in my opinion, I wouldn't even dream of doing anything like that. 

The majority of the novel is about Brooke and Scott, and the fact that she still has yet to say anything to Scott about how she feels about him. I was a bit annoyed by the fact that her friends back home weren't as supportive, especially Candice, who seems to hold a grudge because she liked Scott first. I felt that Candice should have at least made up with Brooke, or given Brooke the chance to at least say sorry. 

I was really annoyed with Scott and his whole reaction. He should have known that he was stringing Brooke along, as he continually reported back to his friend about Brooke, as evidence of Brooke's friend, April who reports back. I felt that Scott was a douche for not properly being with Brooke, and it seemed really shady on the fact that Brooke had seen Scott with Leslie, after their altercation. 

There were a lot of original moments in this novel though. I loved how the origami played a theme in the novel, as well as the "warm fuzzies." It was very entertaining reading Brook and John's relationship and watching it grow. Overall, a very fast paced read, with interesting relationships, but I wasn't too pleased with the ending, as it left some unanswered questions. 

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 4/5. 

In My Mailbox!

Hey readers! It's another posting of In My Mailbox, hosted by The Story Siren, this week I got...

For Review:

Death and the Girl Next Door -- Daryna Jones (e-galley sent from MacMillan)

Beautiful Disaster -- Jamie McGuire (Sent from NetGalley)

From Library: 

Grave Mercy -- Robin LaFevers

Insurgent -- Veronica Roth

A Midsummer's Nightmare -- Kody Keplinger 

Waiting For You -- Susane Colasanti

When It Happens -- Susane Colasanti

Bought:

Amplified -- Tara Kelly

Serial Hottie -- Kelly Oram.

I had a great book week this week, and can't wait to dive into all of these books. Be sure to leave a link so I can see what you got as well :)

Review: The Tower by Jade Varden

                                       E-book: The Tower by Jade Varden
                                       Pages: 95
                                       Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
                                       Source: Sent from author

Short Synopsis: Rain is back, as she refuses to believe that her friend River is the actual killer of her classmate Laurel. But as Rain digs deeper into the mess of lies, she's in for far more than she's bargained for.

My Thoughts: Another interesting tale by Jade Varden, as readers discover Rain's complicated life, and how her family is involved.

Death brings some families closer, but it’s ripped mine apart. I wanted to convince the police that they had the wrong suspect...but I never expected them to start suspecting me. Now, I have no choice but to keep searching for the truth, even if all my relationships fall to pieces around me.
Someone is trying to make me look guilty. I never thought my mission to prove my own innocence would lead me to more family secrets. I thought I had already discovered the truth about myself. But every answer raises more questions, and everything I think I know is about to change...again.
I have to find the truth, no matter how much it hurts -- before I get charged with murder.
--From Goodreads

Another captivating read. Rain is caught in a family that hides their secrets. One of her good friends from school is the primary suspect as a killer of her classmate, her sister Carsyn still gets under her skin, and Rain is starting to realize what it means to be a von Shelton.
Swayer aka Tom, is the only other person that is not convinced that River is the killer, and that the real killer is still out there. Together, Sawyer and Rain try to discover who the actual killer is, and why there is a link between their family, and Laurel's death. I was intrigued with Rain's discoveries, and the fact that she was loyal to her friend River, swearing that he wasn't the killer, and adamant that he was framed.
The continuance of Rain's tale, adds an extra flavor as Rain gets even more tangled in lies between River's so called father, Asher, and Laurel's parents. There is a lot of pointing fingers in this story, and the more that Rain tries to clear River's name, the more she is targeted by the police as a suspect, and is also a target to the real killer.
I was a little bit disappointed with the fact that there wasn't as much romance involved in this novel, but it was understandable as Rain had a lot going on with her life. I disliked how Owen treated Rain, and didn't like how things turned out, though I was glad that Rain and Swayer grew a little bit more closer. Over all, at times, it was admittedly a little bit confusing, but I'm still rooting for Rain to find her happy ending.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 3.5/5

Spotlight: Arson by Estevan Vega

Hey fellow readers! I am happy to introduce, Arson, by Estevan Vega, from the book tour of A Tale of Many Reviews.

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. After years of living in fear, he will be forced to confront his haunting past and embrace the unknown as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Edgy, realistic, and breathtaking, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated teenager with unimaginable ability, is set to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

--From Goodreads.

About the author:

Since he was in fifth grade, Estevan Vega dreamed of one day being an author. At fifteen, he published his first book Servant of the Realm. At eighteen, The Sacred Sin was released. ARSON, his third and most popular novel, is the beginning of a trilogy. Look for book two soon. Until then, he has released a collection of three short stories titled WHEN COLORS BLEED. He resides in Connecticut. Visit www.estevanvega.com for more details.

Estevan Vega can be found at:

http://www.estevanvega.com/

Twitter is @EstevanVega
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/estevan.vega

Amazon/Barnes and Noble

You can follow along with the Arson Tour, HERE

Giveaway! One lucky person can enter to win One singed copy (US and Canada) and a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Please follow along with the rafflecopter instructions below, and do not fake enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!