The Book Life

Loved this! I didn't expect it to be such a quick read for me, but once I started I had a hard time putting it down :0)I can't stop thinking about this story! I am so glad I decided to give it a chance

Do I really need to say anything other than this book rocks? I didn't think so. This next year is going to be a terrible wait, but I comfort myself in knowing that I can re-read The Archived as many times as I'd like :0)Full review soon.

The beginning was fabulous, but the middle dragged a but for me, however it was completely made up for with the last section of the book! Wonderful :0)Full review closer to release!

Since I was young, I’ve often thought of how cool it would be to be psychic. Being psychic is a lot different than being a Seer, but it made joining Bea for her story, all the more appealing for me. Being a Seer is a very important part of Bea’s world and it has determined a lot about the way her life has gone. Children born with Sight are sent to live in the Institution when they are very young. I absolutely love the dynamic of characters thrown together in a small, and sometimes very controlled, atmosphere. Bea is the best of the Seer’s at the Institution and because of a recent vision, she may have saved her people from an invasion by the Dreamcatchers. Her vision allowed the Keeper to catch one of them that had managed to get into their city and isolate the threat. They think the warning they received from the Dreamcatcher is a blessing and will help them better prepare for the rest of them that are said to be coming. What they don’t know is that Bea has a secret. Another Dreamcather has been visiting her in her dreams and they may already be too late. Other Seers at the Institution start having visions that hint at betrayal, so Bea must keep everything to herself, because she doesn’t want to get labeled a danger to everyone. She feels safe with the Dreamcatcher in her dreams, but with the impending threats of them coming to kill her and her people, she must figure out a way to stop them. She also begins questioning the Keeper, but going against her is not really a possibility and is starts to become obvious that Keeper is keeping secrets from the rest of the Institution.I think this was such a unique story. Visions and Seers are always such a fascinating topic to read about and I thoroughly enjoyed the history behind who they were and that of their enemies. Little things, like the color of the Seer children’s eyes all being the identifying feature, were fun and added to the mythology of the story. I guess it can be clichéd to have a leader who isn’t exactly what they seem, and could even be an enemy in their own right, but I like the way it was done in this story and I feel like it opens up a lot of potential for Bea’s character in future books. This one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will anxiously await the next book in the series.

Marni Bates debut Awkward was such a great read for me, that I was super excited when I found out she was writing a new book that involved a rockstar and Christmas! Decked With Holly plays on the whole accidental fame thing, just like in Awkward, but this time our characters are trapped on a cruise ship. Holly and Dominic's "meet cute" is more like a "meet hilarious disaster". It was definitely one of the most unique ways I've seen two potential love interests first introduced to each other. Once they give in to the inevitable and strike a deal that will save Dominic's reputation and hopefully help Holly gain some respect from her nasty cousins, things certainly get a little more interesting. Holly isn't exactly prepared for the paparazzi or what fake dating really entails. While I liked Holly and her snark quite a bit, she wasn't as big of a hit for me as Mackenzie was. There were plenty of laughs and some great characters, but there were parts that fell a little flat for me. I really liked Holly's best friend, but I wish we could have gotten more in person interactions between her and Holly. I guess maybe that's what didn't really work for me, the whole cruise thing. I liked the characters, even the mean girl cousins, and I thought the love story was really sweet, but having them all confined to the same place made the story drag for me a little. Overall this is a cute read and it will definitely get you chuckling. I love that it takes place during Christmastime, and of course rockstars are always fun to read about. While there were a few things that didn't work for me, I would still recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fun, quick contemporary read!

3.5 starsI've always enjoyed stories where the characters magics are based on the elements. The idea of being able to control the various elements is such a fascinating thing, and really the possibilities are endless. Shay, Jodi and Steven are such an awesome group of friends. They are connected by their shared powers, but their bond is so much more than that. I loved the teasing and banter back and forth between them, not to mention the way they were able to communicate with only each other. I think it'd be awesome to be able to carry out secret conversations, or convey specific emotions, just by touching. When the story starts, the three of them are planning to contact the angels to get some help for a friend of theirs, who is in a seriously abusive relationship. They think it's worked, and much faster than they imagined, but then weird things start happening and Shayna senses something much more sinister is at work. This book is full of twists and all kinds of crazy happenings. People aren't necessarily who you think they are and you will be flipping pages to see how it's all going to go. This is the first book in the series and I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of situations this gang finds themselves in next. Lots of magic, great friendships, twists and surprises. Definitely one worth picking up :0)

This book is a complete gem. I almost missed out on reading it, myself, but I am so glad that I didn't. You've got the perfect mix of a rich, layered story, solid and unique characters, and a nice bit of mystery worked in. Claire is not a simple girl and she doesn't have such a happy past. I really enjoyed viewing things from her perspective and seeing her way of coping with life and the things it throws at her. We don't find out everything about her all at once, nor am I really sure we ever know exactly what has made her who she is by the end of the story, but I love the way her story unravels and pieces of her start to come together. She certainly has a hard time letting people in and when Tess befriends her, it certainly took a while for Claire to appreciate the friendship and realize that she really was something good in her life. I think the contrast between them added so much to the story. Tess loves love and all of the things it adds to life, while Claire remains cautious of most things and tends to dwell on the bad things that have happened in her life. Sam Tate, what to say about him? Initially, he comes off as kind of a jerk. Then we find out he is, in fact, a student teacher in Claire's class and he has a penchant for arguing with her. So it certainly took me a bit to warm up to him, but as we get to know him a little better, it became a little clearer to me why he was that way at first. Claire does some pretty crazy things during the book and Tate shows up for her time and time again. Pretty noble, considering he doesn't really know anything about her. Claire is determined to find out what really happened to her best friend Richy and Tate seems to be determined to help her. I had never read any of Emily Dickinson's work, but the way Kathryn works Emily's poetry, along with words written by Claire, into the story tied everything together so beautifully. It gave the book a little something extra and gave me the urge to go out and get some of Emily Dickison's stuff right away. This book took me completely by surprise and has cemented itself a place on my all time favorite books shelf. It's a quiet kind of amazing and I urge everyone to give it a read. There are no monsters or evil dictators, but it does possess magic :0)

Okay, first some truth. I love, LOVE, anything with the premise of fake dating. Books, TV shows, movies, or fan fiction. Whatever it is, if somebody in it fake dates to make someone else jealous, I am on board. So when I got the opportunity to review The Truth About Faking, I was so psyched. The reason I love this plotline so much, is because it sets up a whole framework for excellent drama. Inevitably real feelings evolve, inevitably someone is super oblivious and it causes drama, inevitably it's got plenty of amusement for the reader. But enough rambling about why I love this plot device, and let's get to why I really enjoyed this book. Leigh T. Moore has done an excellent job with this storyline and she's even thrown in some extra twists. Initially, I didn't really care for Harley and her borderline stalkerish obsession with Trent. Girl needed to take a few steps back. Not to mention, she had a pretty big me, me, me attitude when it came to the help that Jason was going to give her. Of course, as the pages kept turn, I found myself warming up to her more and more. I really liked that the author also had a storyline regarding Harley's family, I think it's so nice when you get to see more into a characters life. I also thought it was really clever how she tied what was going on with Harley's family, into what was going with Harley. I love when you can see generational parallels. This was definitely a cute, fun read, but there was also a little bit of serious thrown in and I think it gave it a nice bit of depth. I'm all for fluff, but I don't mind going a little deeper sometimes, too. I think there is a good message nestled in between these pages, not to mention a fun love story, and even some unexpected friendship. Definitely one worth giving a go and a huge thanks to Leigh T. Moore, for giving the me the opportunity to read this one :0)

I don't think I have the proper words to express exactly how I felt while reading this book. It definitely tackles some serious subject matter and it does it so well. Throughout the whole book I felt like I was really inside the head of a teenager. First, while Butter is dealing with being ignored and really only having the company of his mother and one of his teachers. Then there was the shift, once he announced his plan, and suddenly the popular kids wanted to be friends with him. With he new "friends" Butter started to developing, or maybe showing is a better way to describe it, a bigger personality. He was enjoying his new life and was almost able to forget that it was all because he was planning to kill himself, almost. This book is so important, because it highlights so many different aspects of bullying. You've got the kid who is the target, but he doesn't completely feel like one, because he is sort of being accepted. You've got the cool kids who want to be friends with him because he's going to do something so horrific, and he's going to do it publicly. You've got the kids who think he's full of crap, have never liked him, and still don't. And you've got the kids who know what's going on, and aren't necessarily comfortable with it, but because of fear or just not knowing what to do, they stand by and wait. I think we always identify bullying as physical or verbal abuse, but in reality there is so much gray area and Butter's story helps bring some light to teenage behavior. I absolutely felt for Butter and he was the main draw throughout the whole book, but I really like the way the author wrote his mother. At turns I was so mad at her, for letting things continue the way they did at home and for enabling her son, but then my heart also broke for her, because it was very obvious that she didn't really know how to fix things. Like any mother, she just wanted her child to be happy, but from what she could see in his life, the thing that made him most happy was food. I couldn't really judge her, because even though I didn't agree with the way she handled everything, she was always just trying to do everything she could for her son. I absolutely recommend this book to everyone. People need to read about stories like this one, to better understand things that might really be going on with teenagers, so that there aren't so many blind eyes.

Parker's story is very different from Jordan's story, but it is still an excellent read. Parker is a girl who is trying desperately seperate herself from her mother's lifestyle and the rumors it sprouted about her. She's also trying to come to terms with her faith and dealing with a highly inappropriate crush on the new baseball coach. We get to see Parker's internal struggle with God and her need to know why things have happened to her and her family. I'm not a religious person and I don't typically read things that have religion incorporated, but it was done so well here and it never became preachy. It really helped the story, by showing the battle that was going on inside of Parker and even gave some insight into why she's made some of the choices she is now dealing with. I know it's totally cliche to jump right to talking about the guys, but I can't help myself. Firstly, Brian gave me creepy feelings the whole time I was reading and those didn't get any better when he proved to be a huge jerk. I felt for Parker because at her age, the kind of attention she was getting from him, would be so easy to make into something bigger. I could see the ending that Parker couldn't, and I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop letting this guy take advantage of you. Will, on the other hand, is so many kinds of adorable. I love this boy to pieces and I really liked how their friendship evolved throughout the whole story. They've known each other for years, but they had always just kind of been on the outskirts of each other's lives, and that all changes when Parker starts managing the baseball team. I don't know what it is about Miranda's writing, but I love the sports stuff that is incorporated into her stories, even though I don't actually like sports. It doesn't take over the story, but it's definitely a big part of the characters lives and it helps everything kind of gel together. This one was a one sitting read for me and it will definitely be on my re-read shelf. I honestly believe you can't go wrong with a book by Miranda Kenneally. She writes excellent female protagonists and totally swoonworthy boys! Definitely one to add to your shelves :0)

I'm sure I've said this more than once, but I am fascinated by parallel universes. Just the idea that there is another one of us in another world, who may look and sound the same, but leads a completely different life. It's just such a cool idea and I'd like to think it is real. In Hainsworth's debut, Cam actually gets to glimpse another version of his life. Things are so similar in some ways, but drastically different in others. In Cam's world his girlfriend, Viv, has died. He hasn't been dealing with it so well. One night he meets Nina, who knows him, just a different version of him. When Cam shows up in her world, she kind of freaks out on him and tells him it's too dangerous for him to be there. Cam can't stay away, though, because in this world Viv is alive. I didn't care for the Viv from Nina's world. She was super intense and just gave me a bad vibe the whole time I was reading. It was obvious she had some secrets, but it seems everyone from that world was keeping secrets. Of course, Cam was just so happy to have Viv again, he wasn't paying enough attention to realize something was off. I liked Nina's character a lot, even though I wasn't sure what her motives were at first. Once I started figuring out what was really going on, I think it only made me like her better. Cam was such a sad sack at first, because he refused to let himself move past his girlfriend's death. As the story progressed and he got "Viv" back, he slowly started to pull out of his funk and began bettering himself. I loved his friend Mike, because that kid put up with a lot from Cam, but he also wasn't afraid to give it to him straight. Overall, there were definitely a lot of things in this book that were predictable, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment while reading. Seeing things coming isn't always a bad thing and this story is proof that the journey to that end is what it's really all about. I'd definitely recommend this one anyone looking for an interesting contemp with a twist. Also, how gorgeous is that cover? I know we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but who wouldn't want that on their shelves :0)Such a captivating story. I'm still trying to figure out if things really happened, or if it was all in Cam's head. Either way, Cam was an excellent main character :0)

THIS BOOK! I want more Evie and her crazy life! Such an awesome story and so many insane twists and turns! Also, I

Mean girls. We've all seen or dealt with them in school. In the words of School House Rock, knowledge is power, and Chelsea collects all of the information about people that she can. Then her and her friends spread these rumors like wildfire and systematically humiliate the other students in their school. It keeps them popular, because no one wants to be on the bad side of the kids who could potentially ruin your life. At first I wasn't so sure about Chelsea, because she seemed to thrive on spreading gossip and behaved like those people deserved whatever they got. She was kind of a bitch, but not completely unredeemable. When she tells a pretty big secret at a party, she almost instantly regrets it and tries her hardest to convince everyone it's not a big deal and to leave it alone. After it ends up getting someone seriously hurt, Chelsea doesn't ever want to be responsible for spreading peoples secrets again. So she takes a vow of silence. Kind of genius, in my opinion.Her vow started out a little selfish at first, while she didn't want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt, she was more concerned about what she lost as a result of what she said. She really just wanted her friends and her status back, but as her ex-friends wage war against her, she starts to realize that maybe being a part of that group was never really something she enjoyed. Asha and Sam are two kids that decide to take a chance on Chelsea and give her a place to belong again. I think Asha is the most genuine character I have ever read. She sees the good in everything and believes people always deserve a chance. Asha accepted Chelsea almost immediately, vow of silence and all, and never let her spend too much time thinking about what happened. Sam is just excellent. He's a little nerdy and a lot swoonworthy, such a nice guy who befriends Chelsea despite some very big reasons not to. I loved Hannah Harrington's debut Saving June and I was so excited for Speechless, well it didn't disappoint! This one has a whole different vibe to it, but I think it was just as excellently written. I urge everyone to pick it up and give it a read! Definitely a new favorite :0)Review originally posted at http://www.thebooklife.com

Originally posted at http://www.thebooklife.comI always enjoy reading Lauren Barnholdt's books. They are always sweet, funny, and just the right amount of angsty. They are basically the perfect contemp formula for me. I think The Thing About the Truth is one of my favorite's of her books. I liked the alternating perspectives between Kelsey and Isaac and that we got chapters of the aftermath, then flashbacks to how everything went down. I actually really liked reading from Isaac's point of view. He was just so real with himself and everyone else. I loved how he would say one thing in his head and then think, no that's not true. He was constantly cracking me up and his personality was just so darn charming. Sure he's got a politician for a father, so charm is kind of bred into him, but still. I liked Kelsey, too, but I did think she was a bit whiny at times. I know that she's had a lot of crap happen to her recently, but I wanted her to be stronger and move past it. Of course, once her and Isaac decide that they don't hate each other, she gets a lot better. Not because she needs him to be happy, but I think he helps her realize that the past isn't indicative of the rest of your life. I really liked their Face It Down Day idea. It was similar to things I've seen people do at real high schools, and when it runs smoothly, I think it's such a great forum for high school students to share with each other and gain some understanding. We never did anything like it at my school, but I think people defnitely could have benefited from it. Of course, Kelsey's ex-bestfriend, ex-boyfriend, and her lies keep their day from actually happening. I liked that her big lie wasn't something completely scandalous and I think that Isaac reacted to it exactly how a teenage guy would react. For me, after going through the whole story and seeing the aftermath all along the way, the resolution was a little too quick. I guess I really would have liked to see a little more between Isaac and Kelsey in the after, but that aside, the last couple of paragraphs worked really well for the story. Overall this one is a win for me. And I highly suggest giving any of Lauren's books a try if you are a contemporary fan. And if you don't read a lot of contemps, definitely check out one of her books, they are quick and so much fun :0)

This is actually the first book I have read by Janet Gurtler. I was so curious about how the characters in this story would be able to deal with the horrible thing that happened, and I just couldn't imagine what they would come out like on the other side. I'm sure we've all done frivolous things to make the guys we like jealous, but who would ever consider that something as small as a kiss could have such high consequences. Samantha is the new girl at school, so she didn't really know that much about Alex and she certainly didn't know about his allergy. At a party, the guy she likes is kind of being a jerk and Alex is being nice to her, so she decided to show Zee that two could play at that game. What follows is, I can only imagine, one of the most traumatic experiences a teenager could go through. Samantha gives up swimming, which she loves more than almost anything, because she doesn't feel like she should be allowed to keep swimming if Alex can't. Even though it was an accident, and she isn't being charged with anything, Samantha carries so much guilt around with her. That guilt ends up getting her into some pretty sticky situations and honestly, I had a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for her. I think this is a really powerful story and it puts you in the mind of a girl who isn't exactly sure how she's supposed to live her life now. I couldn't help feeling sympathetic toward Samantha, even when she was making really stupid choices, because she was just trying to keep going. I don't know that there is really any growth in Samantha, but I'm not sure that's really the point of this story. She learns to cope and to accept, which is admirable under her circumstances. She also finds people who genuinely care about her and some hope, as well.

Originally posted at The Book Life; http://www.thebooklife.com/2012/08/defiance-by-cj-redwine.htmlWhen I first read about Defiance, I didn't add it to my TBR and I never intended to read it. Not because I thought it sounded bad, but because this isn't the type of story I typically read. It's not that I don't like fantasy, I just don't prefer it. So I'm sure you are thinking, why did you read it if it's not your style? Well, I kept seeing people insisting that this story was so well written and so different, that it was a must read. I read some early reviews on it, re-read the synopsis and perused the authors website a bit. I decided that it's good to step outside of your reading comfort zone from time to time and that I really did need to read this story. Well, let me tell you, after reading Defiance, I will definitely be picking up more books like this in the future. This book was good. The writing was excellent and kept me glued to the pages. Fantasy still isn't my favorite genre, but if the story is cool enough, I'll be giving more of them a shot. C.J. Redwin has also created some excellent characters. Rachel is fiercely independent and so, so stubborn, but she's also seriously loyal and totally badass. As villains go, Commander Chase was one seriously evil SOB. He intimidated me and I was just reading about him, so I can only imagine what the people in Baalboden felt around him. I also kind of loved him, though, because he certainly kept things interesting and had Rachel and Logan constantly on their toes. And Logan, how do I love thee, you beautiful, noble boy. He looked up to and loved Rachel's father like he was his own, so he took his role as Rachel's protector very seriously. This was made slightly more complicated, by the fact that he was seriously repressing his feelings for her. I loved reading when the two of them were together, but I also liked that a lot of the story took place inside their heads when they were seperated. I will definitely be picking up the next installment of this series, after that ending, I am seriously curious about where things are going to go from here.