Review: 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

Title: 16 Things I Thought Were True

Author: Janet Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Publication date: March 4th, 2013

Genre(s): Young Adult (Realistic Fiction)

Source: NetGalley

Format: e-ARC

Pages: 283

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Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

Having read some of Janet Gurtler's previous books, 16 Things I Thought Were True is probably by far my favorite one out of the bunch.  16 Things I Thought Were True talks about a twitter maniac, whose name is Morgan. When her mom gets sick, she starts to panic, especially since her mother is single. Morgan has two older brothers, but Morgan has always felt like she still needed to find out who her father is. After an embarrassing video that went viral, Morgan doesn't really have real friends anymore. Despite having no real friends, Morgan says that her "twitter" friends are as real as they can be. During her summer job, she meets a very enthusiastic girl named Amy, and their very mean boss, Adam. They have all been stressed out for various reasons, so the three of them suddenly decide to go on a roadtrip, and are determined to find Morgan's birth father. 

Plot wise, the story may not have been as unique, because I remember reading something like that in some previous young adult books. Despite that, I can't say that the story wasn't enjoyable or was even predictable. The characters were all very diverse, unique, and very funny. It was also a very sad book at times. Many moments where the characters were put in tough positions. We also got to learn a lot about each of the characters. There were a few "roll your eyes" moments that I just couldn't deal with, but leaving those aside, it was a very well written book!

Overall, if you're looking for a contemporary book that has a bit of romance, humor, and friendship, then 16 Things I Thought Were True is the book for you! I will definitely be looking forward to future books by Janet Gurtler, and I really hope she delivers a very different book in the near future!

Review: The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

Title: The Museum of Intangible Things

Author: Wendy Wunder

Publisher: Penguin Canada
Publication date: April 10, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 304

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Hannah and Zoe haven't had much in their lives, but they've always had each other. So when Zoe tells Hannah she needs to get out of their down-and-out New Jersey town, they pile into Hannah's beat-up old Le Mans and head west, putting everything—their deadbeat parents, their disappointing love lives, their inevitable enrollment at community college—behind them.

As they chase storms and make new friends, Zoe tells Hannah she wants more for her. She wants her to live bigger, dream grander, aim higher. And so Zoe begins teaching Hannah all about life's intangible things, concepts sadly missing from her existence—things like audacity,insouciance, karma, and even happiness.

I had really high hopes for The Museum of Intangible Things because I loved Wendy Wunder's previous novel, The Probability of Miracles (Review here). First of all, she is blessed with beautiful book covers as well as very memorable book titles! The Museum of Intangible Things first got my attention because of the road trip aspect. You guys know how much I love road trips in my books! also, it is a best friend novel and I sometimes love my friendship books, void of romance. Overall, I did enjoy this book but I did have a couple of issues with it that didn't allow me to enjoy this novel as much as her previous one. 

This book fails to mention something very important, that it deals with a psychological disorder. One of the friends, Zoe, has bipolar syndrome. The road trip.. wasn't a fun road trip, it was about doing whatever Zoe wanted, and Hannah following her and hoping she doesn't drive off the edge this time. I do like her loyalty to her best friend, it is something I admire very much, but I hoped the way everything was handled had been handled differently. Also, the road trip? took over 100 pages for it to happen. You guys know how much I dislike when the synopsis mentions something that doesn't happen immediately in the book. I would have preferred not knowing they'll be going on a road trip because I was waiting for it as soon as I started reading. Also, the writing made me a bit uncomfortable, maybe it was how true it was to what teenagers think and go through nowadays but I just disliked the way these characters talked and thought.. it made me like them a bit less (am I making sense) but maybe this is just a case of "it's not you, it's me" where the author purposely did this to not romanticize teens' lives because I know we all want our YA characters to live happily ever after. 

However there are things I highly enjoyed in this novel and the first is the labeling of every chapter. Through the road trip, Zoe is teaching Hannah to ease up on life and to, for once, think about herself instead of her sorry excuse of a dad and barely present mother. I really liked the connection between the two girls and how even in the middle of all the crap they're going through, they still stuck by each other and wanted the best for each other (yes, even Zoe who tends to get her way with things). It was basically two girls against the world and it was refreshing to read YA contemporary novel with minimal romance (yes, there is a very diluted romance in there). I would definitely recommend it to contemporary fans who want to try something different.

Check out my mini video review of The Museum of Intangible Things along with Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Review: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe - My First Verse Novel

Title: The Sound of Letting Go
Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe
Publisher: Penguin Canada
Publication date: February 6, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 400

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For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How can she know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

When we received a package from Penguin, and one of the books included was The Sound of Letting Go, which I haven't heard of before, I decided to pick it up. When I read the synopsis I knew this was a book I wanted to pick up. Only when I sat down and opened the first page did I find out it is told in verse! Through my almost three years of blogging, I've never read a verse book. For some reason I always stay away from them but I decided this is a message from somewhere that I need to sit down and finally give verse books a try. I am so glad I picked it because I had a totally misconceived idea about what verse books are. I really enjoyed this way of storytelling and boldly say The Sound of Letting Go will not be my last verse book. 

Now to the actual review. Daisy, the main protagonist, was a very likable character. I totally sympathized with her as well as the difficult situation she is in. Everyday she would go through an emotional roller coaster: She resents her brother for their situation.. then she feels guilty for him because she loves him.. he's her brother.. but does making him her brother mean that she has to love him? then she goes back to feeling guilty of thinking about that. Add in how she always feels like the third parent instead of a junior in high school. I just felt so bad for her. She wasn't whiny.. if you thought she was. Put yourself in her shoes and I'm pretty sure you would have been worse than her.. I know I would. 

One thing I would like to point out is that the synopsis is very misleading. I was waiting for her rebellious stage to start and it did, sort of, 200 pages in. Also the whole thing about the exchange student being the light in her dark world? that never really happened.. he wasn't even much present in the novel. I think this novel is more about Daisy and her thoughts, emotional monologues, as well as how she copes with what she is currently going through. It is 400 pages but don't let that intimidate you, I read it twice as fast as normal books because of its verse style. I definitely recommend it to contemporary fans, especially ones who have never read a verse book before. I am now very excited to pick up Kehoe's previous verse novel, Audition. 

Check out my 3 minute and a half video review of The Sound of Letting Go! 

Veronica Mars Review: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham

Title: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars, #1)

Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication date: March 25, 2014

Genre(s): Chick Lit (Contemporary/Mystery)

Source: Publisher

Format: Finished Copy

Pages: 324

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From Rob Thomas, the creator of the television series and movie phenomenon Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling mystery series that picks up where the feature film left off. 

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

Oh Veronica Mars… I read this novel, The One Thousand Tan Line right after I came back from watching the movie (which was amazing!) and I must let you know that I’m a die hard Veronica Mars fan, ever since it was airing back in 2004 till it got canceled in 2007 (that year was pretty dark for me). I have re-watched the show (which is only three seasons) so many times I honestly can’t recall the exact number. I feel an introduction to the show is needed in order to be able to really tell you how much I loved the novel. 

The show opens up a year after Veronica Mars’s best friend, Lily Kane, was murdered. The killer wasn’t caught but Veronica is adamant on finding and putting him/her to justice. It is Veronica’s junior year and she is a loner. Her dad, the ex-sheriff accused Lily’s dad of the murder and that didn’t bode well, especially since he’s the owner of Kane Software, a multi billion-dollar cooperation. So her dad got demoted and Veronica’s ‘friends’, aka: rich group she hung out with because of Lily, cast her away. Veronica now works for her dad, who’s a PI, and solves small cases every episode while still trying to solve her best friend’s murder (gets resolved end of season 1, then a new mystery for season 2 and then 3). This show is full of fantastic and quick dialogue that makes me crack up constantly. I love all the secondary characters like her new friends Wallace and Mac, her daughter-father dynamic with her dad, Keith, as well as some 09ers (rich kids) like Logan and even “the obligatory jack***” Dick, but most of all, I love Veronica. I love how tough she is and how she took a crappy situation and toughened up because of it, made a way for herself. She was never a frustrating character and seemed so real in how she handled things, she was very logical and smart, a true role model for girls. 

Now fast-forward to the movie, which is set 9 years after the end of the third season and boy was it everything I wanted it to be. I was, along with all the VM fans, disappointed with how open the ending was of the show but this was the chocolate cake that we’ve been craving forever and it seriously hit the spot. Then comes the novel grins and it is set two months after the movie. I had a few doubts about how the dialogue and how well the show will translate into a novel but I shouldn’t have worried, especially with Rob Thomas’s (producer) name on the novel too. As soon as I started reading it I was transported back to Neptune and it felt like a smooth continuation from where the movie ended. The dialogue was as good as the motion pictures and the mystery was also as unpredictable as always. I am seriously happy with this novel. It is the perfect thing that filled my post Veronica Mars movie depression. I also love how in the novels the possibility of bringing back older characters (which was done!) is open. You get a constant blast from the past and it really makes me connect more with Veronica’s world and Neptune. 

I do have to say that Veronica’s love interest was missing from most of the novel and I cried a little inside because I love him so much (will not reveal who he is because of any non VM watchers out there). I do know when he returns it will be epic and I can’t wait to get to know more about what he’s been up to the past nine years and just what the next stage of both Veronica and his relationship will be about. Obviously 9 years didn’t really change them and if the recurring trouble in paradise they’ve faced over the show is any future indication of what is to come, I am up for it… though under one condition, that the end result is both of them together! I LoVe them too much <3  

Review: Between The Lines by Tammara Webber

Title: Between The Lines (Between The Lines, #1)

Author: Tammara Webber

Publisher: CreateSpace 

Publication date: August 29th, 2012

Genre(s): Young Adult (Romance)

Source: Bought

Format: ebook

Pages: 260

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When Hollywood It Boy, Reid Alexander, arrives on location to shoot his next movie, his goals are the same as always—film another blockbuster hit and enjoy his celebrity status to the fullest while doing so. His costar is a virtual unknown with whom he had blazing hot chemistry during her auditions. The universe is lining up nicely to grant whatever he wants, as usual, until he’s confronted with unexpected obstacles on location like a bitter ex-girlfriend and a rival for the first girl to spark his genuine interest in years.

Emma Pierce just got her big break after more than a decade of filming commercials for grape juice, department stores and tampons, and more recently, bit parts in made-for-TV movies. Nailing the lead role in a wide-release film sent her agent, father and stepmother into raptures, and should have done the same for her. The Problem? Emma is experiencing a building desire to be normal, and starring in a silly, modernized adaptation of one of her favorite novels—opposite the very hot Reid Alexander—isn’t going to advance that aspiration.

Graham Douglas doesn’t fear playing the part of a nerdy dimwit; when it comes to choosing film roles, if it pays, he’ll do it. Besides, his friend Brooke Cameron snatched up the role of the bitchy hot girl and could use his help as a buffer, because her ex is the star. Graham has no problem keeping a handle on the situation, until he finds himself attracted to Reid’s costar, Emma, the girl Reid is pursuing full-throttle with his standard arsenal of charm, good looks and arrogance.

After hearing so many great things about Tammara Webber's books, I just knew I had to pick them up. I'm a huge fan of contemporary books, and I was so excited to get into another great contemporary series. Between the lines talks about a girl named Emma Price. Emma is home schooled, and has an agent. It's the first time I read a book that talks about a girl who is on her way to become an actress. I really found it refreshing, and I always find how the agent stuff works interesting, and how the actors get the roles and etc. When Emma's agent gets her an audition to the famous new hot movie, School Pride, the story starts becoming way more interesting. I found it weird how Emma wasn't that ecstatic about getting the role, because she was on the verge of wanting to live a normal life, or lead the celebrity life. Emma gets to audition with the hot new actor, Reid Alexander. It was very interesting to see how the two characters would act together, so I was actually excited about the audition scene more than Emma was! 

The characters in this story were very interesting to read about. The book was from multiple POV's. From Reids and Emmas. I'm a huge fan of multiple POV's, because you kind of get the whole idea of what the two characters are thinking! The interesting part of Between The Lines is that there were more characters we got to meet. There were the other actors in the School Pride film, and I really like how they were involved throughout the story. We had the amazing Graham, who was my personal favorite character, and there were the rest of the cast, Brooke, Tadd, and Quinton. I know many people have a problem with love triangles, but I absolutely LOVED it in this book. It was so interesting and always had me turning the pages. I also really enjoyed Tammara Webber's writing style! The flow was great, and she never included any unnecessary details, which authors always seem to do in their books. 

Overall, I think Between The lines was a great debut novel! I also loved how I never seemed to be right of what I expected to happen later. I always seem to know what happens, especially in contemporaries, but Between The Lines was seriously full of surprises! I finally understand what the big fuss is, and I'm glad I took a chance to read her books! If you're looking for a fun, chill contemporary that will leave you surprised, I totally recommend Between The Lines.