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March 29, 2014

Chick Lit Review: You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane


Title: You Had Me at Hello
Author: Mhairi McFarlane 
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: February 25, 2014
Genre(s): Chick Lit (Contemporary)
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC
Pages: 436
What happens when the one that got away comes back?

Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart.

It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.

From the moment they met they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders…

Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.
I requested You Had Me at Hello on a whim off Edelweiss. It looked like such a cute chick lit and I've been craving a change of scenery from the usual YA books I read. I am glad to say that You Had Me at Hello managed to remind me of my love of chick lit books. It was fun, with a great storyline, a fantastic group of friends, and a very attractive (look and personality wise) love interest. I also really liked the writing style and how the story progressed.
This novel is for all the people that have "the one that got away". It is about Rachel and Ben, how they met back in university when they were 18 to 21 and also 10 years later when they're 31. The story is centered during Rachel's 30s but we get a blast from the past every couple of chapters and I LOVED those chapters. You don't really know much about both of them in the beginning, even when they actually 'coincidently' (on Rachel's part) bump into each other. Rachel has been with her boyfriend Rhys for 13 years while we find Ben is actually married 'cue crying sound'. This isn't a novel about infidelity so be at ease. I was worried some cheating would happen and I personally don't know how I would feel about Ben and Rachel if it did happen, but it didn't. 
I think Ben and Rachel's chapters during their university years were my favorite. I liked Rachel as well as her friends in their 30s but there is a ton of talk about journalism. Rachel is a journalist and I personally yawned a bit during the times when she was at work and discussing with her co-workers, etc. I think that would honestly be my only complaint for this book and the reason why I didn't give it higher than four stars. It is a book full of laughs (being british and all) and I love it when my chick lit books are set in england (Sophie Kinsella anyone?) so this one definitely brought back all the reasons why I love chick lit books and how different and sometimes even better, they are compared to YA books. I definitely recommend it to older teens who are fans of contemporary YA or chick lits. 

March 26, 2014

Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor


Title: Maybe One Day 
Author: Melissa Kantor

Publisher:
 
HarperTeen 
Publication date: Feb 18th, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Realistic Fiction)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 384
Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
 It’s not always easy to get through the day when someone you love is hurting. Some people don’t really know what it feels like to be in pain, or even have someone they love go through pain. Others have experienced it, and have been through the emotional roller coaster that is automatically accompanied by tragedies. After having read “Maybe One Day” by Melissa Kantor, I understood the true struggle one goes through when someone close is struggling and experiencing physical and mental pain. The book is full of hope, heartache, and true friendship. Melissa Kantor had the ability to suck the readers into this world and plot from the first page. It takes a very talented writer to create characters in which the readers are able to understand and connect with, to care for and invest in them emotionally. Melissa Kantor made great usage of climatic order, slowly building up the plot of the story as it becomes more intense.
“Maybe One Day” follows the story of two teenage girls, Zoe and Olivia, who spent most of their lifetime together. They both had big plans for their future, where Olivia says ”We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.” All of that comes crashing down when Olivia is diagnosed with Leukemia. Both girls’ lives start to crumble as they start to learn how to cope with this new reality in front of them. The book shows us how these two young girls manage and learn from this experience throughout the span of one year. Melissa Kantor does not only show us how Olivia is suffering, but how Zoe is suffering as well. While Olivia suffers from her sickness, Zoe suffers from her shock, her loneliness, and how much it hurt her to see her best friend sick. As Zoe says, “Time does not care how precious it is, how hard you are working not to squander it. Time passes.” The readers are able to see how these two girls develop and grow up compared to the beginning of the book.
While reading, Melissa Kantor is able to stir every emotion in you, from laughing all the way to crying. The book is written from Zoe’s point of view, which is to show and emphasize how the friend is hurting just as much as the sick person. At such a young age, it is hard and heartbreaking to see two beautiful girls having to go through what Zoe and Olivia are going through. Melissa Kantor made an excellent job in writing from a sixteen year olds’ point of view, and personally, I was able to connect really easily with the character. The pain that the characters felt, I felt. It was surreal how reading can stir up the strongest emotions in you. 
All the great things aside, there were a few lacking aspects in Maybe One Day. Apart from everything else, the process of Olivia’s cancer treatment felt unrealistic. Everything was rushed, and I can guarantee that it is not as simple as starting chemo the same day you are diagnosed. The book also felt a little bit depressing at times, which is understandable due to the tragic topic it covers, but I think there’s still a limit to how depressing it should be.
Like “The Fault in Our Stars”, a cancer book, got a lot of the readers attention out there, Maybe One Day is most likely to follow its steps. Sometimes it’s hard to read about a tragedy that is happening to many people out there, but we do in order to understand. “Maybe One Day” will help you open up your eyes to how truly tough loss is. Whether it’s mentally or physically, it is still the same.

March 21, 2014

Chick Lit Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Someday, Someday, Maybe

Title: Someday, Someday, Maybe
Author: Lauren Graham

Publisher:
 
Random House Canada
Publication date: April 30, 2013
Genre(s): Chick Lit (Contemporary)
Source: Publisher
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 344
Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 
I love Gilmore Girls. Yes I know, this isn't related to Gilmore Girls except for the tiny fact that the author of Someday, Someday, Maybe played Lorelei in Gilmore Girls. I know I probably shouldn't relate her work with Gilmore Girls but I can't lie and say I didn't pick this book up for the sole reason that the author is Lauren Graham, because that is the reason. Still, I really enjoy reading chick lits and when I read the synopsis I knew this was something I might enjoy. 
and I did enjoy it. It was definitely a different book from the usual YA or romantic chick lits I've read in the past. Someday, Someday, Maybe follows the struggle of Franny to becoming an actress in 1995. Franny reminded me SO MUCH of the main protagonists in Sophie Kinsella's books. They are funny, quirky, don't have a brain to mouth filter, and get themselves in the most ridiculous and embarrassing situations but miraculously always come out of it bolder and with their chin held high. This is why I loved Franny so much. I loved her dedication to her work and especially her Filofax entries (even if her handwriting was a bit hard to read!).
There are two problems that I had with this book, the first being the somewhat draggy plot in the middle of the novel and the next is the romance. I didn't care much about it because I didn't like the love interest and just who Franny was around him. Still, this isn't about the romance and it is about Franny and her struggle and ups and downs of trying to make it as an actor in New York in the 1990s. I do have to say that I really liked Franny's roommates and friends. They were very supportive and always had her back. Someday, Someday, Maybe is a great debut by Graham and I wonder how much of Franny's experiences actually apply to her life. I can't wait to read more by Graham because she clearly is a fantastic story teller. 

March 19, 2014

Gorgeous Cover Reveals! 10 covers to admire!

Check out these 10 book covers that caught my eyes this past month! So many gorgeous covers! I have seen so many covers lately that actually disappointed me, but these are my favorite! Maybe I should do a post of the covers I hate the most! haha! Hope you guys enjoy the beauty! Just click on the books title to read more about it!
Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot: This cover looks so PRETTY! I love the sand/sun!
The Aftermath by Jen Alexander: I think one color books are so cool! Love the hot pink!
Sanctum by Madeline Roux: Like how much it matches the first book!
The Defiant by Lisa M. Stasse: The covers for this trilogy are just so cool! Love the green!
Get Even by Gretchen McNeil: LOVE LOVE this cover!! The silhouettes make it seem so myterious!

Deliverance by C. J. Redwine: AGAIN! Matching covers! So pretty!
Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang: The covers of this series are just so cool and weird!
Unraveled by Gennifer Albin: Another cover that matches the series! Also, love the butterflies!
Can't Look Away by Donna Cooner: This cover is so unique!! Thought it was a movie poster at first!
The 100 Society by Carla Spradbery: SO CREEPY! I love how it looks painted as well!

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Which one of these do you guys love the most? These sound like really good books as well! So excited to read Even in Paradise, Can't Look Away, and Get Even! They sound so awesome!

March 17, 2014

Review: Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam - Virtual Worlds & Adventure

Elusion
Title: Elusion (Elusion, #1)
Author: Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: March 18, 2014
Genre(s): Young Adult (Dystopian/Sci Fi)
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC
Pages: 400

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.
I read Elusion all the way back in October of 2013. That is around five months ago and I still remember most of what happened. If this isn't an indication for how unique and worthwhile this book is, then maybe my review would persuade you.
Initially Elusion started off really well, with a mysterious feel surrounding Regan's, the main protagonist, dad's unexpected death as well as the whole concept of Elusion. Elusion is apparently a program her dad's company is ready to launch nationally and it is a device that transports people to any virtual world they desire. We get introduced to some characters such as her grieving mother, as well as her best friend, Patrick, who currently runs Orexis, her father's company. I initially really liked their relationship but there's so much mystery that I couldn't fully trust him. Enter Josh, the extra mysterious, in a good way, motorcycle riding, military trained, intriguing bad boy. I liked him instantly and loved how he didn't gloss over anything and spoke his mind. I also loved how he accompanied Regan in all their detective work and digging when rumors about Elusion being harmful and addicting (think heroine for our current world) spread across the media and country. 
I am wary of dystopian and futuristic novels being too generic however Elusion wasn't that at all. I couldn't at all predict the ending or the plot twist, and yea there is one huge twist. I loved that the romance didn't overpower the book. The love triangle wasn't even that. I think both authors wrote it really well and I liked the balance between the romance, the world building, mystery, and also adventure and revelations. 
The ending needs its own paragraph. I just can't believe how mind blowing it was. I gave myself a mental slap for reading Elusion so early on and having to wait six months for the book to actually come out then a year for the second book. Needless to say, this is a book with a big wow factor. Definitely one of the books that don't disappoint you, whether you're a romance fan, dystopian fan, futuristic fan, I think it'll appeal to all of you. I am excited for the second book and I can't wait for the cover reveal because the cover of Elusion is gorgeous.