Review: Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount

                                            Book: Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount
                                            Pages: 105
                                            Genre: Young Adult
                                            Source: Sent from Alluvion Press

Short Synopsis: Mae is consumed with grief from losing her father who died while trying to save Heidi's life. 

My Thoughts: A deep, and gripping tale of loss and acceptance, Hating Heidi Foster was a very emotional read. 

Mae McBride and Heidi Foster were the very best of friends. Tied at the hip from early elementary school, their relationship was the stuff of storybooks, legendary even, in the minds of their high school classmates.
Unshakable.
That is, until Mae's father died while saving Heidi's life. When Mae finds out, she blames Heidi. She blames her father for putting Heidi ahead of her. She blames her friends for taking Heidi’s side. She begins to unravel amid that blame and her uncontrollable and atypical anger.
At the same time Heidi is beset by guilt, falls into depression and stops eating properly; wasting away physically and emotionally while waiting for Mae to let her back into the friendship she misses so dearly.
Mae, consumed by her hatred of Heidi, the confusion regarding her father’s motives, the perceived desertion of her friends and her mother’s grief, loses more and more of herself.
What could possibly bring these two old friends back to each other? A miracle?
Hating Heidi Foster, is a young adult novel about the place of honor true friendships hold in our lives. It is about suffering and loss and the ethics of grief. It is about a deep and painful conflict, the bright light of selflessness and sacrifice and the love that rights the ship and carries us safely to port.
--From Goodreads

Mae McBride can't seem to shake the grief of losing her father in a horrible fire while trying to save Heidi, Mae's best friend. And though her life will never be the same, Mae also hates her friend, who was the cause of loosing her father. Both Mae and her mother are trying to recuperate from loosing Mae's father, as both try to grieve in their own way. 

Mae slowly gets back into school, with things being awkward, especially her friends, and especially with Heidi being around as well. As weeks and months pass by, Mae's hatred from Heidi consumes her as Mae seems to be loosing her friends, and both girls seem tortured by this one event. As life goes on for Mae, she learns to take her anger out on her sport, and manages to come to her senses and forgiveness with her best friend, Heidi. 

A very indelible, and heartbreaking story about loss and forgiveness as Mae goes on a profound journey, leaving readers breathless and wanting more. I was deeply moved by this story and felt the hurt that Mae felt, as she couldn't shake the fact that her father was no longer with her. 

It was interesting to read how Mae still kept in contact with her grandmother from her father's side, and that their connection was stronger than before, due to recent events. And though I can't imagine what it's like to loose someone close, it kind of felt that Mae's mother wasn't as in the picture as I expected her to be. 

And I also I can't imagine what it would be like to be in Mae's position, I was a bit surprised at how lengthy Mae's grudge against her best friend was. The whole situation was obviously hurting Heidi, and couldn't see that due to Mae's hate. 

It was also interesting to read how the whole situation went down in the end, but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more detailed information about Heidi's point of view, or how the fire started in the first place. In general, a very touching and moving story about loosing the one you love.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 4/5.

In My Mailbox!

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

From Library:

The Bitter End -- Jennifer Brown

Kiss The Morning Star -- Elissa Janine Hoole

The Second Chance Summer -- Morgan Matson

The Espressologist -- Kristina Springer

Pretty Crooked -- Elisa Ludwig.

That's all the books I got this week. Be sure to leave your link so I can check out your awesome books too :)

Review: Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson

                            Book: Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson
                            Pages: 372
                            Genre: Young Adult, Murder/Mystery
                            Source: Library

Short Synopsis: Tandy's parents are murdered in their own home one night, when Tandy wakes up to police at their door, and the only suspects are her brothers and herself. It's up to Tandy to find out who the real killer was, even if it was her.

My Thoughts: An interesting murder mystery, one that definitely had me at the edge of my seat. 

I'M NOT SURE I LOVED MY PARENTS,
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, their daughter, Tandy, is one of the last people to see her powerful parents alive.
I'M NOT SURE THEY LOVED ME,
Tandy and her brothers are the only suspects, and as she begins to remember flashes of disturbing past events, she's forced to ask the question: What is the Angel family truly capable of?
BUT I'M GOING TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED THEM- EVEN IF IT WAS ME.
Returning to the genre that made him the world's best-selling author, James Patterson introduces a teen detective on a mission to uncover her family's darkest secrets- and maybe confess some of her own.
--From Goodreads

Tandy Angel wakes up one night due to police outside her home. She goes to inform her parents, only to discover that they are both dead. There are no signs of forced entry, so the only conclusion the police and Tandy have come to, is that it must have been someone from within the family. Tandy concludes that it's up to her to find the real killer, even if it could be herself. 

The Angels are not your ordinary family. Every single one of them has secrets, and through Tandy's investigation, she discovers what some of these secrets are, and forces her to reveal and relive her own sordid past. 

I really did not connect well with the main character Tandy, even though her situation was a unique one. At times, she felt a bit robotic, and not really genuine with what was going on in her life. She didn't shed any tears for her dead parents, and there was very little emotion. Yes, her parents raised her differently than other children, and though she felt anger, it didn't really connect. At times she address the reader as if they are there right with her, and most times, the reader is ignored. 

Tandy's brothers aren't any better as well. All siblings have motive for killing their parents, and as each start pointing fingers at the other, more secrets spill, leaving the family in shock. At times, this novel read more like a drama filled book, rather than a murder mystery. There were also certain subjects that came up, was not all clarified, such as Tandy's love, Matty's own personal life, and what happens to the empire that the Angel's own. Hopefully there will be a sequel, with these situations answered. 

Would I recommend this book: Sure

Rating: I give this book a 3.5/5, 

Review: We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

                  Book: We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han
                  Pages: 291
                  Genre: Young Adult, Romance
                  Source: Library
                  *Will contain spoilers

Short Synopsis: Jeremiah and Belly are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives, and no one can seem to stop what they are so desperate to accomplish.

My Thoughts: A startling conclusion to the trilogy, some definitely shocking moments, and not what I expected it to be.

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

This novel is more Jeremiah and Belly's story, than anything else, as we discover more about the main characters, Jeremiah, Belly, and Conrad. Jeremiah and Belly's relationship has become serious, though Jeremiah seems to be keeping a few more secrets than Belly, as Belly discovers that Jeremiah slept with another woman during their "break up". 

And if things couldn't get worse, after gaining Belly's trust back, Jeremiah proposes to Belly, and Belly agrees. My initial reaction to this scenario was.. wtf? Belly and Jeremiah's relationship felt like one destructive blow after another, and that neither was good for the other. It also felt that they were both trying to hold on to something that came together due to their aunt's death. 

Everyone who is involved in both of their lives, all see Belly and Jeremiah's engagement as a bad idea, especially Belly's mother, but the two are determined to see things through, no matter what the cost. I also felt that Jeremiah wasn't as involved in the whole ordeal as one should have been since he was the groom after all, and Conrad's reaction to the whole thing felt a little delayed. All three characters have a history together, and the fact that Jeremiah proposed to Belly, trying to keep what they had together because of his "mistake," did not sit well with me. The fact that Jeremiah had proposed in such an unromantic way felt like a cop out, like marrying Belly was the only thing to keep them together. 

And Conrad's reaction to everything, didn't feel as genuine as it should have been. In general, it was an interesting conclusion to the trilogy, but I was sorely disappointed with the outcome of things, and felt the ending was a bit rushed. 

Would I recommend this book: Eh

Rating: I give this book a 3/5. 

Review: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant, Katherine Applegate

                   Book: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant, Katherine Applegate
                   Pages: 291
                   Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
                   Source: Library

Short Synopsis: Evening Spiker's life changes one day, after surviving a car accident. After the accident, Eve discovers that not everything is as it seems, and her mother maybe involved in something horrible.

My Thoughts: A different rendition of Adam and Eve, this novel definitely had its intriguing moments.

In the beginning, there was an apple—
And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.
Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.
Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?
--From Goodreads

Hm. I really don't know what to say about this novel. I was expecting more of a science fiction novel than a romance novel. Written, in a two person point of view between Eve and Solo, the novel starts off with Eve getting into a horrible accident, and is rushed to the hospital. 

We learn that her mother, Terra Spiker, is a very well known business woman, insists on bringing Eve to her own facility. And though there is a major risk of moving Eve just after surgery, Terra Spiker is relentless at getting what she wants. Terra claims that her own facilities is far more capable than the hospital. 

Within weeks, Eve is starting to heal, better than she expected. Eve discovers that Terra is the guardian of a boy named Solo, whose parents were horribly killed. And to keep Eve happy and occupied, Terra also gives Eve a project. Terra allows Eve to "create" a perfect boy, with Eve's genetic knowledge, and a special computer. But, as Eve and Solo start to get to know each other better, and what the technology actually does within the industry, Eve and Solo do everything they can to expose the truth. 

And though I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and seeing the relationship between Eve and Solo grow, it wasn't what I quite expected this novel to be, for a rendition of the Adam and Eve tradition. Maybe it's just me, but I was also a bit confused on the whole scientific explanation of things as well. 

The character Solo, was an interesting twist, and Terra isn't what she really seems. And though we get to experience some of Adam's point of view, I didn't really enjoy the fact that Eve sort of just disregarded Adam, and felt like she was just using him. Overall, it was a cute and interesting love story,  but it left me feeling a little let down. 

Would I recommend this book: Eh

Rating: I give this book a 3/5. 

Teaser Tuesday!

Hey fellow readers! It's another posting of Teaser Tuesdays! Hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading, this week's teaser is...

I swear, my life was always totally normal.
Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown.
And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near.
But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . . .
--From Goodreads

My Teasers: "It's a strange gesture, as is the way he tilts his head whenever someone in the front row speaks to him. He must hear the whispers, now at a fever pitch, and yet he keeps his gaze trained on the row of students before him, seemingly oblivious to the five hundred pairs of eyes dissecting his every move. But now and then, the corner of his mouth twitches as though he's fighting off a smirk."
--P.g. 17, "Vampire Crush," by A.M. Robinson. 

To play along with Teaser Tuesday, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Be sure to leave your links so I can check out your fun teasers too :)

Top 5 Monday Rants!

Hey readers! It's a posting of Top 5 Monday Rants! This week's topic is... TV shows that I can't live without! In no particular order...

1) Revenge! I don't particularly know what it is about this show that I love. The people are so evil and conniving. Especially one of the characters, Victoria. It's so interesting and fun watching the crazy drama and all the backstabbing that goes on. I always look forward to watching this show.

2) The Vampire Diaries. Though I don't particularly like what's been happening ever since Elena turned into a vampire, it's still interesting to watch nonetheless, and I'm kind of rooting for Elena and Damon to stay together, though not with this ridiculous claim of a sire bond, and I'm not that thrilled with the backstory on what's been going on with Jeremy either. Hopefully things will get better later on.

3) Dance Moms. The women on that show are so catty! They claim that they're all friends, but when it comes to their children being on top, they'll stomp on whoever to make sure they get there. Plus, I always love watching what crazy scenario Abby Lee comes up with for their group number. I can't wait to see what happens next!

4) Nashville. I'm usually not one for country music, but they make it look so good! They've got a catchy tune every time. Who knew country music had so much drama going on? Between the rivals, their personal lives, and a scandal, I definitely can't wait to see what happens next.

5) And last but not least, Elementary. A modern day telling of Sherlock Holmes, and Watson, I can't seem to get enough of this show. It's so interesting to see how and why certain crimes were committed, and the culprit is usually the least likely person. Plus, Holmes and Watson have such great chemistry together, I love this show.

That's it for my Top 5 Monday Rants. Feel free to leave your favorite TV shows in the comments section below too. Thanks for stopping by, hope you all have a great Monday :)