Debut of the year? Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Everyone and their neighbour have already read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Now I have as well, but did I like it?

As a side note, don’t you think everyone should have to come out? Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it should be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.

My short, unfair and spoiler free synopsis:

Simon is gay. No one knows, except Blue. Blue is also gay, and the two boys have a secret, anonymous email exchange going on. A wonderful friendship is in the making. Only trouble is on the horizon. One day Simon forgets to log out of his email at school and the mistake will soon throw Simon’s world into chaos.

Well let me start by using the phrase “all the feels” for the first time ever, because truly Becky Albertalli writes the most genuine scenes. It was not a sad story, but the parts that were borderline sad, the happy scenes, the angry scenes and every other emotional evoking scene all felt so genuine. By the last part of the book I was a bit frustrated, angry, I laughed, laughed again, cried a few tears, laughed some more and then I cried again. I told my significant other that I would think myself a bit emotional unstable I had observed myself from the outside as he did.

All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.

Believeable characters

Simon is a great character. He is not without faults, but he has this admirable ability to look back and reflect upon incidents where he did wrong. I loved that about him. Along with Simon, there are plenty of other well fleshed out characters. Even the ones just doing a guest performance in the story felt like real people. Well done, Becky!

There is a lot of love, caring, support and empathy between these pages, as well as there are a handful of people who contribute to evoke the opposite kind of feelings. Like in the real world, Simon have some encounters with people who are narrow-minded, but he slays them with his bravery (yes, that was just a silly metaphor, this is not a fantasy novel).

My limbs feel really heavy. I kind of want to go home and crawl into bed with my iPod. But the curtains start to open. And I keep moving forward.

It’s not easier. It’s impossible. Because even though it feels like I’ve known Abby forever, I really only met her four months ago. And I guess there hasn’t been time for her to have any set ideas about me yet. But I’ve known Leah since sixth grade, and Nick since we were four. And this gay thing. It feels so big. It’s almost insurmountable. I don’t know how to tell them something like this and still come out of it feeling like Simon. Because if Leah and Nick don’t recognize me, I don’t even recognize myself anymore.

Becky Albertalli have created a fictional contemporary world that I fell in love with. The wonderful friends, loving family, the cutest love interest and a truly amazing teacher, I could have read on about them all for hours and hours. I was sad to let them go.

For those who find it of importance: there are some swearing, a tiny scene of underage drinking and references to sex. All addressed with the loving care, concern and advice of Simons parents. In my opinion, nothing to hide from a seventeen-year-old living in the real world. Then again, I live in one of the Nordic countries and scenes like described above very rarely shock us – is that an American thing? Some might find us weird, I mean we rarely to never ban books even. A real live book utopia that is ;)

I could have written more in depth about this novel, but I do not wish to do so. I just want the world to know, if in doubt, that I LOVED Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda! It is an important novel for young adults and adults alike. Not only does the books address the challenges of being gay and the huge deal everyone makes the “coming out” part out to be, it also addresses what it is like to be a teenager and how a parent/child relationship evolves through the years regardless of whom you love.

Book source: I bought the book.

Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor just moved to a new place with her mom, stepdad and younger siblings. Park has lived there forever with his korean mother, american father and younger brother. He likes his spot alone on the school bus where bullies like the neighbour Steve leaves him alone. For reasons he doesn`t understand he offers the seat next to him to the weird looking Eleanor when noone else will on her first day. And this is where the story about the two of them starts.

                                                                   

The story about Park and Eleanor is cute, real and heartbreaking. They are in a way two lost souls that find each other over comic books and music on the school bus. Eleanor is the new weird looking girl with clothes that don`t really fit and big read hair. Park is the half-Korean kid that tries to be left alone most of the time and is in sharp contrast to his brother who looks and act more like his all-american macho father when he himself looks more like his feminine korean mother. At Eleanor`s house they all have to tip-toe around the very moody and abusive stepfather. Eleanor has been sent away before for being rude and even though home is not a happy place it`s still home. She also has way too much responsibility for her brothers and sisters, that all sleep in the same room, for keeping them of the stepdad`s radar. This way of living has made her very tough and her shell is not easy to break into.

The story`s told form both Eleanor`s and Park`s perspectives divided into their own chapters. It`s set to the 80`s with a lot of popcultural references from that era but it doesn`t seem to matter to the younger readers nor should it. I guess when an author writes about things they know it usually feels more real than if they try to write about the things that young people care about today without really getting it. Music and comic books are the most important way for Park and Eleanor to connect and communicate. Park provides Eleanor with mix-tapes and comic books to take home and they`re definitely her comfort in a home where nothing`s like it should be. And then they talk about it on the school bus the next day. Eleanor also finds a way give something back when she realizes Park isn`t that updated on older music. So I guess the main reason why the era doesn`t really matter is that all readers will get their way of communicating and finding someone who cares about the same things you do.

The best part of the book is the way Rowell gets you to really care about the characters. They are so well described and seem so real to me. My heart just breaks for Eleanor and all the things she had and has to go through. And even though Park`s problems in comparison doesn`t seem as major you still gets his struggle because I think a lot of us can relate to feeling like an outsider, not being or looking the way you want or are expected to especially in those challenging teenage years.

What makes this book stand out is the way it combines the heavy issues with the more plain but still important issues of being a teenager. And this is not your typical romance or love story where the girl is swept away.  It`s just as much about friendship and finding someone who gets you, for both of them all told in such a cautious way that makes it such a tender experience. And even though I constantly wanted to help Eleanor, hug her and tell her everything would be okay, she manages to find her own way and strength. And unfortunately this is the reality for many people that struggle, there are noone there to save them or even help them. The story gets to me as my teenager self, and as a mother and human being and it`s the beautiful and strong Eleanor I will remember the most.

Eleanor & Park has won several awards, both literary and given by the readers. Amongst them YA-book of the year on Goodreads and just last week it was recognized as an Honor Book at the Printz awards. I did really like and enjoy this book despite all the fuzz because fortunately quite a few books actually deserve it. I am very tempted to read more by the author and since I already have Fangirl  at home it`s very likely this will happen. I am also very happy tø say that I recently discovered that this book will be published in norwegian later this year.

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman`s boyfriend Nick opened fire in the school cafeteria and killed and injured several teachers and students including Valerie. Most people initially thinks she was in on it or at least that she knew about her boyfreind`s plans. Both Valerie and Nick were outsiders at school and together they created a "hate list" with names of people and things they really disliked or hated. This list were found by the police and known by the public shortly after the shooting. Nick obviously used this list to target his victims so no wonder people blame Valerie. When her stay at the hospital and the summer holidays are over she is forced to confront her guilt and fear and return to school. Old friends and even family turn their back on her and some new and unexpected people welcomes her. But will she forgive herself and move on with her life?

                           

   

My thoughts:

First and foremost Hate List is about Valerie and she is a very complex and interesting character. She is confused and broken because she still loves Nick but cant`t tell anyone. She blames herself on one hand and on the other she does`t. She doesn`t in any way understand why Nick did this terrible thing but feels she probably should have known. She thought he was messing around when he talked about wanting to hurt people or is this something she keeps telling herself to justify why she didn`t contradict him? Recently before the shooting he`d started to hang out with an older guy and Valerie felt left out because Nick didn`t share as much with her anymore. Still she didn`t suspect anything. The way people treat Valerie made me really angry but Valerie`s way of thinking and denying that she had any part of this also made me angry. She didn`t shoot anyone but she was part of creating the list of people that were targeted. In fact she was the one that started it. Even after reading the book you don`t have an answer to why this happened and how guilty Valerie really was. It is up to the reader to decide and personally I`m not sure. Her perspective gives the book something special and makes it such an interesting read.

Even though Hate list is an easy read and written in a way that really captures you the content is obviously not to be taken lightly. The story about what happened on the day of the shooting, earlier stories of  incidents that made some og the people get their names on the list and how Valerie copes with it are given to the reader bit by bit in separate chapters. This is very effectful. You don`t get the whole background story at once and all the pieces come together in a puzzle that is not at all black and white. It`s like we process things together with Valerie and your initial thougts might change. Is she without any guilt? Are the people on the hate list without blame? And is Nick only an evil guy? The author makes us feel both sympathy and anger for Nick because he was also a victim but his actions are of course in no way exusable.The book doesn`t give us the answers to these questions because as in real life situations, things are very complicated. Hate List both allows you to and makes you think and that is what makes this a good book. High school bullying definitely occurs and hate and anger amongst the ones that are bullied rises even though fortunately the consequences rarely gets this extreme. Bullying is not really the main issue of the book though but it is definitely an important topic and the school didn`t handle the issue of bullying or the situation very well. In extreme incidents like this people easily get blinded by hatred and the importance of placing blame instead of dealing with what created the situation. And I guess placing blame is a main issue here, how difficult it often is. By not really giving us any answers only more questions this book is one you don`t forget that easily.

My rating:


Source:
I bought my own copy

Book review: Colin Fischer

Colin Fischer is just starting high school and his parents are very worried. He has Aspergers, can't stand to be touched or the colour blue and he needs index cards to regocnize people's face expressions. Sherlock Holmes is a big inspiration to him and he probably sees himself as a younger and more modern version of him. One day at school a gun goes off in the school cafeteria. Unlike the rest of the students Colin doesn't flee the scene but stays to investigate, because investigating is what he loves to do. The school soon finds a suspect but Colin knows they're wrong. The book is written by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz (screenwriters of X-Men: First Class and Thor).

I had a hard time getting into this book for some reason. Though I think the story could have been a bit more fast-paced I blame some of it on my reading mood or the lack of reading mood lately. I guess my blogging mood hasn't been the best either because it's taken me this long to post this review.

The plot in this book is not particularly original or very exciting but this story is about something more than a crime being investigated and solved. Fortunately because the mystery in the book is not executed in a way I find very satisfying. In the end we don't get all the answers we should have and it feels a bit to easy. We get to know who brought the gun to school but not really why. So as I implied this book does not have it's strenght as a mystery but more in being about a boy who's different. Colin is a very likable character and although I have little knowledge of Asperger syndrome I think it gave me a little insight. The writing is fun, easy and we get to know more about Colin through his notebook which is a nice and successful touch I think. He writes about things he notices and wants to investigate further and he writes about facts and experiments that fascinates him. We also get to follow his way of thinking through the footnotes that explains words or incidents in the story with facts.

So all in all a good experience as an entertaining and sometimes touching contemporary novel about a young boy being different, but as a mystery not so much. The mystery not being solved properly is not a big problem though because the interesting part of the book is exploring Colin's mind and the world around him through his eyes.

My rating:



Source:
Gift from the publisher Puffin Books

Book review: Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer

Struck by Lightning: the Carson Phillips Journal is originally a movie script to a movie playing in U.S. theatres these days. Chris Colfer wrote the script, plays the main character and has also written this book based on it. Colfer is also an actor on the TV-show Glee and this is his second book, the first being a children's fantasy novel, Land of Stories. Just to be clear, I am already a fan of Chris Colfer as an actor but I'm gonna try my best not to let that influence my review of this book.

SBL is written as the diary of the main character Carson Philips. He is an outsider at school, both smart and a smart-arse. He's from a broken up home, where his father left years ago and his mother hasn't really gotten out of the couch since then. Carsons biggest dream is to get out of the small town he lives in where his talents are unappreciated. He finds some dirt on a couple of his more popular classmates and decides to blackmail them into writing for him in a literary magazine. He needs this to show the University of Northwestern that he can inspire and create to fulfill his own dream of going there and become a sucessful journalist and editor. He then realizes how most people have skeletons in their closets, so why stop with only two classmates?

High School. Society’s bright idea to put all their aggressive, naive youth into one environment to torment and emotionally scar each other for life.

 I like the storyline of this book and it's what made me want to read it in the first place. Carson's story is pretty tragic and sad but is told in a very sarcastic tone. Carson is a very ambitious, arrogant and quite cynical character but he has his reasons. I read that Chris Colfer wrote the original script as a teenager in high school because this is the movie he wanted and needed to see. The main character is based on himself but more as the person he wanted to be, the one that punched/fought back with witty comments and didn't only think them, or in my case thought of them waay later:-) Even though Carson isn't a very sympathetic character I still care for him. I think many of us at times have wanted to find our inner Carson Phillips (or Veronica Mars<3) despite the fact that he thinks he is better than everyone else. Sometimes you have to think that way to get by, it's a defense mechanism. This kind of character is usually not the one we root for and I don't root for Carson all the time either, but I guess that makes him a somewhat complex character. I especially liked the parts of the book where Carson went to see his grandmother with Alzheimer's that is the only person he really cares about and also the scenes with his depressed mother. They felt very real and heartbreaking and adds some debth and humanity to the character.

This book is at times very funny, even hilarious, and at times it makes you both sad and angry. Carson is both bitter and cynical and his way of caracterizing the people around him reflects this. The characters are high school-stereotypes and described almost as caricatures but it works in a way because it is written as a diary and therefore in Carson's own words and opinion. I still have a feeling that this works better and feels more natural on screen than on paper.

The bottom line is that I really like the plot, the dark humour and the sadness side by side but the execution is not flawless. Colfer's writing has a certain edge and I think an originality to it but the book feels a little rushed especially towards the end. It's a very entertaining and easy read so you don't have to think twice about it if you're curious to see what Chris Colfer can do as an author. Even though this book doesn't live up to it's full potential in my opinion I am very curious to see what else he's got up his sleeve because I think he shows a lot of promise as a YA-author with Struck by Lightning. I am also very excited to see the movie. Has anyone seen it?

 
My rating:

3.5/5

Source:
Bought my own copy.

Book review: Pushing the Limits by Kate McGerry

What did I expect from Pushing the limits? A lot, love, teenage angst, drama and grief, something in the lines of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. So do check out my review(and my semi-new review format) to find out whether or not author Kate McGerry's debut novel met with my standards.

Looks like there might be a sizzling romance
behind this cover, right?

The good girl

Name: Echo Emerson
Age: Soon to be eighteen.
Looks: Like a siren(according to Noah)
Family: A bipolar mother, a distant father who married Echo's former nanny, a shallow stepmother and a brother, Ares, who was killed in Afghanistan.
Life: Struggling to blend in at school. Difficulties coming to terms with her brothers death and trying to cope with the fact that she is scarred for life. All of the above is resulting in nightterrors, so Echo isn't getting much sleep.
Bad habits: Trying to please everyone but herself. Other than that, she got none. Echo's your typical good girl, well at least she used to be before Noah happened.
Mission: Trying to figure out what happened the night she got her horrible scars, her brain has suppressed the memory of the entire evening. Fixing Ares care.

The bad boy 

Name: Noah Hutchins
Age: Soon to be eighteen.
Looks: Omigoshsohandsome
Family: Two younger brothers(aka his reason for living), parents deceased. Foster parents and a foster brother.
Life: Spent the past few years in different foster families. Has a history of violence.
Bad habits: Smoking pot, drinking, doesn't really caring about school anymore.
Mission: To get custody of his brothers and to make sure non of them will ever forget their real family.

When Harry met Sally(or you know what I mean)

Echo and Noah attends the same high school, but they have never been on speaking terms. Now the two of them are forced to work together through an arrangement suggested by the school therapist. It is a classical situation where two very different people are brought together and forced to collaboration. We all know how that ends, for the most part that is.

Author Kate McGerry's blossoming romance is nicely done, in the pre-relationship stage, but as soon as their relationship starts to evolve from flirtatious to the real deal the magic slowly seeps away. McGerry's real strength, in this story, lies in her portraits of what is broken. Difficulties and tragedies can change a life upside down, some are able to get back on their two feet, others don't. I feel that one important lesson to learn from this story is that one should always remember never to alienate people who have experienced a tragedy of one kind or another. In many situations there is created a gap between others and the victim(in lack of a better vocabulary). Instead of alienating people we should reach out to them, show them that we care and are there for them, no matter what.

As a bad boy I felt Noah was sweet up until he stared saying things like he wanted to own her and giving her deadlines to follow if she wanted to be with him. He felt a little too controlling, perhaps understandable due to his experience with loss, but not a healthy trait in a relationship.

Favorite character?
The therapist, her role felt so genuine. She cared about her patients and helped them bring out the best in themselves.

All in all I was a bit let down and I felt that perhaps that the story was a bit too moralistic for my taste. My final verdict is a three waning lil' moons.

/

Suggested for further reading(as they so nicely put it in textbooks):
- Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.

- Review: Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles.

- USA Today's article in which Kate McGerry describes her first kiss with her husband.

Source: Review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

Book Review: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I'm going to start off in here with a review of a book I read in the beginning of 2012 and it's so far my best read this year. The book I'm talking about is The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.


From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two.

My opinion:
 The Sky is Everywhere has many of the ingredients of a classic YA-novel, a love-triangle, a teenage girl struggling to find herself and an "evil" rival at school. So what made this book stand out for me? First off all it is beautifully written. It also contains a number of weird characters imposible not to like. For instance her giant of an uncle, who's quite the ladies-man and most of the time sits in a tree (!), the amazing Joe Fontaine, and the main character Lennie is also very realistic and complex.

The book mixes humour with sadness and soreness in a very successfull way. It combines more serious subjects as the grief of a sister and the abandonment of a mother with a beautiful an really cute story. It tells this story at times in a hilarious way (I saw the movie The Descendants just a week ago and this kind of storytelling is just my cup of tea.). Lenny is a bit melodramatic and the romance intense but in this particular book it really works for me. It's like all the emotions of the book are so strong that they come out of the book covers (it seems writing about this book makes me melodramatic;-). Though the book has some cliches, the weirdness and humour prevents it from getting to sentimental. In the beginning of it I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about the writing but then I decided to just lean back and take it all in, and I didn't regret it for a second. Another thing I really liked about the book are all the little notes and poems Lennie writes on papercups, napkins, bathroom-walls, receipts and even on the soles of her shoes.

Goodreads says in the end of the synopsis that this book is perfect for fans of among others Francesca Lia Block. I have not read anything she's writtten but I have heard a lot about her. I know Mari was a bit sceptical about one of her books in this review, but I still think you should try this one though:-)

This book is so beautiful, and is both sad and funny. It has some really weird (in a good way) characters and is just bubbling with the emotions of a grief-stricken teenage girl in love. In case you didn't get it by now, I warn you; it's a very emotional read:-) 

Unfortunately I don't have the english copy available at the moment because there are so many quotes I would like to share with you. I'll be sure to share one with you later on Memorable Monday.

My rating of this book:

/ 

Source:

Review copy from the norwegian publisher Gyldendal in exchange for an honest review

Silje*

Book review: The Intern by Dillon Khan

Do you love music as well as books? Are you curious about what's happening behind the scenes in the music industry or about being an intern? I the answer to those questions are yes then The Intern by Dillon Khan is a must read!

Jay Merchant has always been passionate about music and now he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime; to work as an intern in music television. In total there are six interns at The Beat, they will all have to show what they're made. After a six months internship(= working for free!) one of the interns will get a long term position at The Beat. Jay struggles to balance a job in the fast lane with a personal life(a microscopical time-slot available for his girlfriend Sophie and his friends). 

My thoughts:
Where to start? Well I don't need more than a couple of seconds to think about that one. The answer is with the music of course and second what a great debut novel Khan has dished up for us. Dillon Khan's many pop cultural references took me right back to a wonderful time of my life. I have a great life now, don't get me wrong, but a time where I was carefree with no big responsibilities. It was like walking down the memory lane, lots of musical references and each chapter was named after a song title. The last chapter was titled Bitter Sweet Symphony and for me that was just the perfect ending of a great story! I love that song.

So being an intern is no joke, not even when you're working in an industry that from the outside seems all glam and fun(it might be fun but also HARD work into the wee hours of the night). Author Dillon Khan uses of his own personal experiences to tell the story about the darker sides of internship, it can great fun but is also quite draining and demanding. Khan himself has worked for MTV so he knows the industry he's writing about inside out. It was enlightening and a bit weird reading about being an intern in the UK, it offered a big contrast to the interns here in Norway where the interns get paid from day one and only work 37,5 hours pr. week.

The Intern was a book with wonderful humor, great characters, a story of what working as an intern might be and last but not least a lot of great and diverse music! I was so sad to let Jay and the others go, might we have some more? Pretty please! Jay might just have been the most normal, realistic character I have come across in a long time, kudos to Khan for writing with such an authentic voice. Also it was very refreshing to read a young adult(not suitable for the youngest YA reader) novel from a male point of view.

I would like to end start this review of The Intern by giving a huge thanks to Hannah from Puffin for getting me out of my comfort-zone. I have absolutely no regrets for dipping my toe into the water, none what so ever. Why not? Because I LOVED every minute I spent with The Intern in my hands and alongside Jay behind the scenes of the music media industry.

Lastly I want to point you all in the direction of The Intern homepage, it is awesome. I can honestly say that I haven't seen a book/author that has this kind of resourceful homepage before so check it out!

My rating of this novel:

/

I thought this to be a fitting way to end this review:

Full disclosure:
Review copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?

My thoughts:
I have to admit, I am usually not a huge fan of characters with memory loss in YA, as it has a tendency to become cheesy, kind of an easy way to keep me interested in the story, to find out what’s happened. Breaking Beautiful managed to stay away from the cheesy, and instead used Allie’s memory loss only as a small part of a larger mystery; what happened on the night Trip died.

Allie had my heart breaking in so many ways. I felt incredibly bad for her, for having stayed in an abusive relationship, for not daring to tell anyone about it and instead just making excuses for Trip, and especially for not remembering how he actually died. And the way her classmates treated her – there’s no way I could have taken that without screaming back that “Hey, maybe that guy you’re still worshiping wasn’t so perfect after all – he beat me.” And yet through her growing relationship with Blake, she finds the strength to deal with the whole situation, no matter how hard it is at times.

I really, really liked Blake. He’s been friends with Allie ever since they were kids, and it is clear that he’s willing to do just about anything for her. His reputation is not the best thanks to some events in his past, but he really doesn’t seem to care what people think about him, and I love that. The fact that he really cares about Andrew, Allie’s twin brother who has cerebral palsy, is another huge point in his favor. There were times when I didn’t get why Allie hadn’t just started dating Blake instead of Trip to begin with, but of course life isn’t always that easy.

I loved how the story was set up as a mystery, where we’re searching for clues about Trip’s death right alongside Allie. Some of the clues come in form of Allie remembering things, others we had to discover otherwise. I did figure out what happened before Allie did, but it was nothing obvious, and I could just as easily have missed it and stayed clueless. Either way, I loved the tension and suspense of not knowing, and I would love to see more of this kind of mystery in YA in the future. Breaking Beautiful is probably the best YA book I’ve read about an abusive relationship, but it is so much more than that, and I would definitely recommend this book.

Cover: 
I love it! The red shoes makes me wanna know what happened to the girl wearing them, and it's just creepy enough for me to pick it up.

My rating of this book:


Want to know more?
Add Breaking Beautiful to your Goodreads wish list
Visit Jennifer Shaw Wolf's website

Full disclosure:
ARC received from NetGalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Joint book review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M.Danforth

Welcome to our very first joint review here at Escape In A Book. Today we will reveal to you our thoughts on the young adult LBGT contemporary novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth.

Mari's thoughts: The Miseducation of Cameron Post was actually my very first LBGT read. I had such high expectations for this novel, that might have been the reason for my being let down. My biggest issue with The Miseducation of Cameron Post was the pacing of the novel. At times the story felt to slow for me and I was struggle to keep going. I blame the book blurb for contributing to my feeling of slow pacing. Why? Because something described in the blurb didn't happen to Cameron until I was halfway through the novel.

I very much enjoyed the first part of the novel, reading about Cameron's summer and first crush etc. I was there cheering on Cameron to get her girl! I wasn't too fond of the novels way of ending, I wanted to know what was in store for Cameron and her friends. It made me wonder if there is to be a sequel. TMECoCP is a story about growing up and being gay in the US in the 90's (and how it perhaps still is to this day) . Emily Danforth did a great job portraying the difficulties not to mention the horrors of good people trying to cure people from homosexuality. All in all this story is an important contribution to teenage fiction letting, but a bit to slow going for my taste. Before I end this review I would like to guide you to a very interesting article that Emily M. Danforth did for Huffington Post, it is well worth a few minutes of your time.

My rating of this book:

/

Nina's thoughts: There’s really nothing I can say here that will do this amazing novel justice. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is an incredibly well written debut from Emily M. Danforth, with one of the most controversial plots I’ve read in a long time.

The scenes from Cameron’s childhood really set the mood for the rest of this book. We are lead through warm summer days in Montana, swimming at the lake, kissing in barns, renting and watching 99cent videos, living with a very religions aunt, and I felt like I was there with Cameron for all of it. I have to add that I loved the introduction from the author, telling us that she was born and raised in Miles City herself, because it really shows in how well she knows her small town setting.

The first chapters do an amazing job of describe summer crushes and first love, regardless of gender and sexuality. Cameron is a very conflicted girl, and her aunt Ruth does absolutely nothing to help with this. If you are religious, please don’t take offence from this, but Ruth is exactly the kind of person that makes me dislike religion to the point where I try to distance myself from it as far as possible.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post evoked so many strong feelings in me. I was pissed off beyond what I can describe at some of the things Cameron was put through, but there was also hope, friendship and romance, and I loved all of it. My only problem with this book is that I wish Cameron herself would have been a little more angry about her aunt’s attempt to “fix” her. I kind of felt like she just accepted the situation, and made excuses for it not being all bad, and that felt a little wrong to me.

Instead of me saying much more, buy a copy of The Miseducation of Cameron Post for yourself, then let me know what you think when you’ve read it. This is the kind of book that will inspire strong opinions and loud discussions, and hopefully remind us all to be a little more open and understanding to the people around us.

My rating of this book:

/

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.

Source:
Our copy was provided by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

It all begins with a stupid question:
Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria’s a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan’s a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they’ve got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria comes to realize she can’t run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

My thoughts:

“Hearing about vacations is like hearing about dreams – no one cares except the person who’s experienced them.” I would say that Kristen Hubbard proved herself wrong with this quote from Wanderlove, because I not only enjoyed reading about Bria and Rowan’s travels, I felt as if I was experiencing their journey through Central America alongside them.

Wanderlove is very much a homage to travel. We follow Bria as she embarks on a journey through Central America, although everything does not go as she had envisioned. I loved how Bria had this desire to prove to her friends, and to herself, that she is both adventurous and spontaneous, and even if she knows that’s not who she is, that is who she becomes as she backpacks around with Rowan.

The setting was my favorite part of this story. Every destination, from the breathtakingly beautiful to the downright dirty, is brought to life through realistic descriptions of both the places and the people who live there. And the best part of all? That Kristen Hubbard has drawn much of Bria’s art into the book! These are really good drawings, and I loved how it let me see the art along with the story.

Bria makes a very believable first-time backpacker, and Rowan is the perfect well-traveled bad boy gone good. The tension between the two grows thick, and I was really cheering for the two of them to just get it on already. But of course there’s more to the story than that. Bria and Rowan try to keep moving forward, but at some point they will both have to face their past.

I loved how, even as I was getting toward the end of the book, I did not know how I wanted it to end. The characters had to come to their own conclusion, and in the end it was the perfect way for the story to end. Wanderlove was not only an amazingly good book, but it made me very restless to get out to travel. I have three trips planned for the year, Las Vegas, ALA Anaheim, and Paris and Norway, but I am already thinking about a trip to Central America next spring!

What is your dream travel destination?

Cover:

Gorgeous! I would definitely pick up this book based on the cover alone.

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add Wanderlove to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Kirsten Hubbard's website
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Full disclosure:
ARC received from Netgalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.

It’s probably hopeless.

But he has to try.

My thoughts:

I knew I was setting myself up when I requested this book. You see, I'm a crier. The girl you see crying on the bus, at Starbucks or wherever else she can sneak in a few more pages. So to read a book about a boy who is dying? Yeah, I was setting myself up, but I am so glad I did.

Never Eighteen is told from a male point of view. I don't have much experience with this in YA outside of John Green's books, but I really came to love Austin's voice. He has come to terms with the fact that he doesn't have long left to live, but instead of trying to make the most out of his time left for his own good, Austin has decided to do his very best to improve the lives of the people he loves. I just loved his noble intentions, and every time he talked to someone new, trying to give them advice or just the little push they needed to change their lives around, my respect for him grew even more.

There is something so simple and real about Megan Bostic's writing. There are no unnecessarily long descriptions, nothing is said if it doesn't improve the story, and I really liked this style of writing. There were times when I wished there had been more, especially in the conversations between Austin and his best friend Kaylee, but at the same time that minimalism made me see how effortless of a friendship they had.

And then comes the ending. I really don't know what to say, other than that I had to take a break from reading to locate a box of Kleenex before continuing. It was so heartbreaking and emotional, but even as I was crying there were things that made me laugh and smile, and it really was the perfect ending.

Cover:

Simple, but I love the colors, especially the different colored letters in the title.

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add Never Eighteen to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Megan Bostic's website
Read Megan's blog
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Full disclosure:
ARC from Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

My thoughts:

I didn't quite know what to expect from Shooting Stars, but what I got was a super cute, fun story about Zo Jo and her life as a sixteen year old paparazzo.

Jo is such a fun character. She is incredibly cynical for a sixteen-year-old, but she's had to grow up fast in the business she's in. I liked how she doesn't take herself too seriously, and how she's not afraid to use some dirty tricks to get the best shots. And most of all I loved how she has dreams for her future; even if she's making good money as a paparazzo that's not how she wants to spend the rest of her life, and she will do whatever it takes to follow through on her dream.

The whole story was so much fun, but there were definitely some serious issues worked in as well. The teenagers at the rehabilitation retreat are all there for good reasons, and even Jo might have some issues of her own, on top of the whole "I'm falling in love with my target" thing. And the way Shooting Stars ends was really just perfect, with enough surprises to keep it all interesting.

I would recommend Shooting Stars to anyone who likes a cute little romance, real teenagers with real problems, or just want to read something fun. And since nothing ever goes beyond some kissing, it is very appropriate for younger teens as well! (Although, you know, I'm 24 and loved it :p)

Cover:

Cute and fun - just like the book!

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add Shooting Stars to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Allison Rushby's website (Such a cute website!)
Follow Allison on Twitter

Full disclosure:
ARC received from NetGalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

My thoughts:

New Girl is a retelling of the classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I have not read Rebecca, so I can't say anything about how it compares, but New Girl felt very much like its own, original story when I read it. I am somewhat split in my opinion of this book. On one side I loved the mystery, the characters and the way the story was told. On the other side, I was a little bugged by how much everyone cared about 'New Girl', and I had some problems with Max.

To start with the good, I loved the way the story was told from both 'New Girl' and Becca's sides. It really made it clear how different the two girls were, and how crazy it was for everyone to think 'New Girl' was trying to take over Becca's place. All through the book I found myself trying to guess what really happened to Becca - was she actually dead, had she run away, or was she just waiting for the perfect time to reclaim her throne as queen of Manderly Academy?

'New Girl' (it takes a while before we learn her name, so I'll let you discover it on your own) is a very strong character, despite all her insecurities, and I loved how she was not afraid to stand up for herself and be her own person. Most of her fellow students only see her as a poor copy of Becca and never gives her a chance to show her own personality, but she handles it all very well.

My problem with New Girl mostly comes down to Max. I don't see why on earth he stayed in a relationship with Becca when he was clearly not happy with her, because let's be honest - most teenage boys don't care that much about hurting a girl's feelings, so if they want to dump a girl that's what they do. Then in comes 'New Girl', and all of a sudden we're supposed to believe that he cares about her, even if he treats her like dirt to start with. It just wasn't a believable relationship for me.

Despite the few issues I had with New Girl I enjoyed it quite a bit, and can recommend it to anyone who likes a little mystery, some good boarding school drama and a strong protagonist.

Cover:

As much as I like underwater covers, there's something off about this one. I just don't like this girl's facial expression.

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add New Girl to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Paige Harbison's website
Read Paige's blog
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Full disclosure:
ARC received from NetGalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

My thoughts:

There is so much I loved about this book that I don't even know where to start. First, it's Jay Asher! Thirteen Reasons Why is my all time favorite young adult contemporary, and so I will always pick up any book I see with his name on it. Second, I loved the '90s. I remember the first time I got to use the Internet at our school computer, the first time I signed up for an email account, and even if it was ten years later; signing up for Facebook. But let me get to my review.

I was a little skeptical to the author collaboration as I've never read anything by Carolyn Mackler, but I could honestly not tell who had written what. The chapters alternate between Josh and Emma, and I loved how they each had their own distinct voice. I especially connected to Emma, because I saw so much of myself in her. I am exactly the kind of girl who would obsess about every little detail of both the future and the present, over-analyze every status update, and try hard to change things if I wasn't perfectly happy with them. Josh gave some comic relief to otherwise serious situations, and I just adored the way he changed his behavior after first seeing his Facebook future.

The ending was slightly predictable, but the journey to get there was not. I was just as excited as Josh and Emma to see how their Facebook profiles would change every time they logged on, and the different romances and crushes were so much fun. Yet despite all the normal teenager-y everyday action, what really got to me was the bigger questions. If you knew your future, would you try to change it? Would you obsess over your future to the point that you're no longer living in the present? And why on Earth do we feel the need to share with hundreds of "friends" online what we just had for dinner?

The Future of Us is a great read filled with fun, friendship and thoughts of the future, and if you were a teenager in the '90s I'm sure you'll exclaim "ohmygod, I had/did/read/heard that too!" more than once.

Cover:

Very Internet-ish, but perhaps not the most exciting.

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add The Future of Us to your Goodreads wish list

Follow Jay on Twitter
Follow Carolyn on Twitter

Full disclosure:
Purchased at my local bookstore.

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

My thoughts:
As a non-American, I have to admit that up until last year I had never even watched a game of football. Then I married a Patriots fan, and started getting lessons in everything from plays to the scoring system to fantasy football. Despite all his efforts, I still don't care much about football, so I was excited to see if Catching Jordan would be interesting even for me. It was.

Catching Jordan has not only one of the coolest girls in young adult literature, but also a fantastic cast of side characters. Jordan's friends from the football team each have their own distinct voice and personality, and I loved reading how they interacted both on and off the field. These boys are so darn supportive of their quarterback, and you can tell that they really care about her. Jordan's family, from her loving mother to her supportive brother, are described in such a warm familiar way that I almost felt part of the family myself during their dinners, and even her dad, who's trying hard to ignore the fact that Jordan is playing football, is so much more than the stereotypical "dad in the background".

The dialogue is what really brought me in to this story. Whether Jordan is hanging out at Joe's All You Can Eat Pasta Shack with J.J. or is out on the field with her team during practice, the dialogue sounds real. I don't know how many times I've read books that have made me think "Come on, who would actually talk like that in real life?". Catching Jordan had me thinking "Wow, I actually know these people in real life".

Catching Jordan is an incredible contemporary read about real friendship and true love, discovering who you are, and deciding on who you want to be. Definitely a must read for fans of contemporary young adult, and you don't even have to like football to love it!;)

Cover:
Very sweet, and I love the tagline: "There's no playbook for love".

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add catching Jordan to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Miranda Kenneally's website

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Full disclosure:
Review copy from Netgalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.