ARC Review: The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian

Title: The Last Boy and Girl in the World
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Kindle, 320 pages
Published: April 26th 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Contemporary, Romance
Source: via Edelweiss

From the critically acclaimed author of The List comes a stunning new novel about a girl who must say goodbye to everything she knows after a storm wreaks havoc on her hometown.

What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.

There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.

Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss.

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World was a very confusing read for me, not because of the story itself, but because of how I feel towards the book. I'm so conflicted because when I started reading this, it didn't seem like my type of read, And then, after a few chapters, things got better, and I was more interested in reading it, and then it drifted off again. Mostly, the book felt boring to me, but these little moments that were very much amazing to me would pop out all of a sudden and my feelings about the book would get out of whack again.

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World is narrated by Keeley, but the story is more than hers. It's about the small town of Aberdeen, which has become an environmental hazard and has required everyone to leave the town. However, Keeley's father refused to leave their hometown, and from there, the story develops. 

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World has elements of family, friendship and romance. But more than that, I love how this book showed me that there are times for having fun and trying to make the best out of situations, but there are also times when you just have to accept that things are bad and let yourself feel bad about it. I also loved how it showed that things don't work out in some aspects, but work perfectly in others. 

  I learned a lot of things from this book, and it was a heavy, emotional read for me just because I could relate so much to the main character. Keeley sometimes tries to get others to have some fun, but gets in trouble for it. And sometimes she just tries to make things better, but actually manages to ruin everything. And that's another thing I love about this book - how full of flaws the main character is, because that's what makes her real. She made a lot of mistakes, and the book wasn't full of lessons in the form of direct words. I loved how the book showed those lessons instead of just told.

  Overall, I liked a lot of little things and moments from this book, but I didn't like it as a whole. It was so hard for me to decide which rating to pick, but I finally settled on picking something in the middle. This book is not bad at all, I just can't say that it was good. However, it's also the type of book that I didn't like, but wish so hard that others would actually be able to appreciate. That doesn't make sense at all, but that's just how I feel.

I liked it. Would maybe recommend.

Blog Tour - Review: Lucky Me by Saba Kapur + Giveaway!

Title: Lucky Me
Author: Saba Kapur
446 pages
Published: April 5th, 2016
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Genre: YA - Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Source: via publisher (print arc)

For eighteen year old Gia Winters, having a movie star for a father, a former Playboy bunny as a mother, a Hollywood mansion, and a closet stocked with Chanel is simply another day in the life.

But her world is turned upside down when her father mysteriously hires a group of bodyguards to trail the family 24/7 and threatening phone calls from a "Dr. D" start buzzing daily.

When Gia scores the coveted role of Miss Golden Globe, she is forced to strike a deal with her bodyguard, Jack, who is almost as arrogant as he is attractive. Juggling Gia's romantic failures, fashion faux pas, and celebrity obsessions, the duo investigate a series of clues with the help of a police cadet, who has a special set of skills and an even better set of dimples.

But with the Golden Globes just around the corner, danger levels rise higher than her stilettos as Gia learns that the biggest secrets might be the ones buried in her own home.

In a place where the hills have eyes, high school nemeses, bad hair days, raging parties, and stolen kisses, there can only be trouble for a girl who was just starting to consider herself lucky.

Purchase at: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository / Kobo 

Gia Winters is living the dream. She's rich, popular, lives in Hollywood with her movie star Father, and has a wardrobe to die for. When out of the blue, her Father hires bodyguards for him, Gia and her younger brother, Mike. Gia is left questioning why. Tall, dark and handsome, Jack is tasked with guarding Gia. She suddenly receives a phone call from a blocked number; a man who calls himself Dr. D, who is leaving her mean threats, ones she can't ignore. When the calls become more frequent, she decides to get to the bottom of this with the help of Jack. They need to find answers quick about who this mysterious man is and why she is being staked. 

When the clues they uncover become too much for Gia and Jack to handle on their own, the police now must help find Dr. D before it's too late. 

Firstly, let's talk about Gia. Shall we? 

I'm just going to say it, I REALLY couldn't stand her. She whined way to much. She was always over dramatic about EVERYTHING! She couldn't make up mind about who she liked, or loved (insta-love, surprise, surprise!) About midway though I just wanted to strangle her with the straps on her stilettos. The only good things I liked about her was her sense of humor, her strong will to find out the truth, and how at the end of the book she seems to chill out and act normal.  Even though I didn't really like her the story itself made up for her character flaws. I really wished she would have ended up for a different character than she did but oh well. 

I really loved her bodyguard Jack. He was so down to earth, devoted, funny and fiercely protective of Gia. Jack and Gia's friendship was funny to read. They always were bickering, teasing each other, and of course flirting. Jack ended up being my favorite character in the book and I think it would be awesome to read the story from his POV.

There were a lot of secondary characters throughout the book and surprisingly all of them I really enjoyed. Besides the characters, the storyline was really amazing. I loved the slow build of mystery and all the thrills along the way. There were a couple times I thought I knew who the Dr. D was but come to find out the author was just throwing in a red herring. The conclusion when the reader finally finds out who has been behind everything was so intense. I was on the end of my seat, reading faster to find out how it all comes to an end. 

Without a doubt, Lucky Me was a fun and thrilling ride from start to finish. While I had my pet peeves throughout, I definitely recommend reading it.

I liked it a lot. Would recommend.

About The Author: Saba Kapur

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads 

Saba Kapur is a 20 year-old writer based out of Melbourne, Australia. Her passion for storytelling developed at a young age, born from a deep-seated love of books. Lucky Me is her first novel and an ode to her favorite things: fashion, romance, and mystery. Born in India, Saba spent her childhood in Indonesia and Kiev, Ukraine. She is currently in her final year of college, studying International Relations and Criminology at Monash University. 

Saba hopes to one day become a fabulous lawyer in New York City, with a closet full of stilettos. In her spare time she enjoys reading, watching anything to do with Ryan Gosling, and pretending she's Beyoncé. Saba currently lives with her parents, her older sister, and a large supply of chocolate.

Want to win a print copy of Lucky Me? 

Amberjack Publishing is giving me a copy to give away to you all! 

All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Book Review: The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett

Title: The Stepsister's Tale
Author: Tracy Barrett
Kindle, 272 pages
Published: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA - Retelling, Romance, Fantasy
Source: via Netgalley

What really happened after the clock struck midnight?

Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She's tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother's noble family-especially now that the family's wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It's hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane's burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family's struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane's stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire. 

When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate...

From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett's stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley.

  When I first started reading The Stepsister's Tale, I was actually very invested in the story. As a fan of fairy tale retellings, it's always interesting to be able to read from the villain's perspective. But as I read on, I found the book to be too long because it was full or narratives, which I never seem to enjoy. In addition to that, I actually read Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman, which is a Snow White retelling from the Evil Queen's perspective. 

  The main difference of that book and this one is in Snow, Glass, Apples, it showed the misrepresentation of the story, but it also showed that the events were still true. The Evil Queen really tried to poison Snow White, but she had her reasons. In The Stepsister's Tale, the author made it so that the stepsisters were absolutely kind, and everything was Cinderella's fault. In this sense, there was a role reversal. I think I would have liked it more if the characters weren't made to be so absolutely good or so absolutely bad. 

  I would have to admit though, that Tracy Bennett's imagining of the novel is very much commendable. It seems like a simple enough plot, but if I were tasked to think of something like this, I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to do it. The idea is really great, and I always enjoy reading from another perspective, but I think it could still be improved.

I liked it. Would maybe recommend

Book Review: Placebo Junkies by J.C. Carleson

Hello, everyone! Today I will be reviewing Placebo Junkies for the book tour hosted by Random House! Enjoy!

Title: Placebo Junkies
Author: J.C. Carleson
Hardcover, 292 pages
Published: October 27th 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Realistic Fiction
Source: via publisher (hardcover)

Meet Audie: Professional lab rat. Guinea pig. Serial human test subject. For Audie and her friends, “volunteering” for pharmaceutical drug trials means a quick fix and easy cash.
Sure, there’s the occasional nasty side effect, but Audie’s got things under control. If Monday’s pill causes a rash, Tuesday’s ointment usually clears it right up. Wednesday’s injection soothes the sting from Tuesday’s “cure,” and Thursday’s procedure makes her forget all about Wednesday’s headache. By the time Friday rolls around, there’s plenty of cash in hand and perhaps even a slot in a government-funded psilocybin study, because WEEKEND!

But the best fix of all is her boyfriend, Dylan, whose terminal illness just makes them even more compatible. He’s turning eighteen soon, so Audie is saving up to make it an unforgettable birthday. That means more drug trials than ever before, but Dylan is worth it.
No pain, no gain, Audie tells herself as the pills wear away at her body and mind. No pain, no gain, she repeats as her grip on reality starts to slide….

Raw and irreverent, Placebo Junkies will captivate readers until the very end, when author J. C. Carleson leans in for a final twist of the knife.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N |  Kobo | Indiebound

I have one word for this book: Mind Trip

Okay, so that's two words but you get the point. I guess I could have said, "whatintheheckdidijustreadomgwasthatconfusing". Hmm...that sounds about right. *nods*

I just finished the book last night and I am still trying to process what I just read. Placebo Junkies is one of those books where 50% of the book seems normal enough and then BAM right in the middle you're thrown a twist that makes you question everything you have read thus far. Part of me liked that I was thrown into a loop and another part was left confused more than anything. 

The story is about a girl named, Audie. Audie makes a living as "Guinea pig" for big medical companies. She takes pills, gives blood, tries new medical products and even allows some majorly scary stuff to happen to her body. Why? Because of the cold hard cash; compensation for being a human medical experiment. Audie is saving up for something very special, a trip for dying boyfriend. Dylan has cancer and Audie wants to give him something he will never forget, a vacation to a place he has only dreamt of. This means doing more volunteering than ever. Which also mean more side effects, more pain, and much more stress. At least she has a friend or two who knows what she's going through. Charlotte is her roommate and friend. She also is a Guinea pig for all the same companies that Audie works at. Both girls know what it's like to be a human pin cushion. Audie will do whatever it takes to make more money and fast. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? 

This is when things go downhill. Something happens to Audie that changes everything and forces her to pick up more medical studies than ever. She is also forced to deal with some horribly bad news, in which she begins to question the motives of the doctors behind these trials. Something is definitely off... or maybe something is not quite right with Audie herself? 

The final twist will leave readers confused, floored or like me mind tripped!

While Placebo Junkies was unlike anything I have ever read before I have a love-hate relationship with the book. On one hand, the story was unique and interesting but clearly lacked focus on the main plot. It was all over the place at times, giving me details that felt unnecessary and boring. I was 40% into reading and questioning where the story was going. To be honest, I did not like any of the characters besides Dylan. They feel flat for me and just too bazaar. As for Audie, I felt genuinely sorry for her. Her life has been so difficult and you really get see the real Audie at the end of the book. I actually really enjoyed the premise of the book, but I feel it the delivery could have been better. 

Don't get me wrong, even though I did find some things I didn't so much like in the book there are some parts I did really enjoy.  I love how dedicated Audie was to buy Dylan this amazing gift. I could plainly feel how much she loves Dylan and worries about his health. All that she went through to make him happy was so heartfelt. Even when the final twist comes and the reader finds out the truth about many things you still can't help but feel at awe. The ending was one I did not see coming. It's one of those, "Wait, What?" moments that will leave you questioning everything you've read thus far. I also think the author did some great research when it came to all the medical parts. Kudos, J.C. Carleson. It really helped with the "real" factor during the trials/experiments.

I give Placebo Junkies a solid 3 STARS! While confusing at times and a bit lackluster throughout it still really ended up being a unique and thrilling read. I recommend the book to anyone who likes a good head-trip wants a story that makes you think. 

I liked it a lot. Would recommend.

Click the link below find out more about author J.C. Carlson and to learn about her other books.

http://www.jccarleson.com/

Review: The Beginning of Never by O.E. Boroni

Title: The Beginning of Never
Author: O.E. Boroni
Kindle, 362 pages
Published: April 20th 2015
Publisher: Waves Corporation
Genre: YA - Contemporary Romance
Source: via author

Twilight meets Eleanor and Park in this contemporary romance story about a love that insists on forever.

When Lenora Baker and Nathan Roqué run into each other in their boarding school courtyard, they have no idea that they are about to begin a journey that will take them the rest of their lives to recover from. Both scarred from parents who were once in love but ended up destroying each other, they are sworn off the possibility that there can truly exist a love that will never end.

But when with each other they find a passion so strong that it heals as powerfully as it burns, a love that will run out is no longer an option for them. Together, they discover just how far they are willing to go to preserve what they know they will only find once in their lifetime.

This is the start of their journey, and here you will come to realize, that falling in love is only the first part of the story... 

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

  I was given an ARC by the author through a Goodreads group in exchange for an honest review. 

The Beginning of Never is dubbed as Twilight meets Eleanor and Park, and I can vouch for that. I don't usually see the connections of these in other books, but in The Beginning of Never, it was definitely accurate. I was thrown off by the Twilight reference at first, but I felt intrigued by the synopsis so I gave it a shot.

Man, the Nora and Nathan's relationship is the most complicated relationship I've ever read. I don't know if you want to know this, but it ended badly. That was annoying, but at least there's a second book. It was clear that both parties liked each other, but they just couldn't be together. It was annoying, but I couldn't help but find most of their moments sweet and romantic.

I must say, this book is a cliche. The not-so-popular girl with no friends and the popular guy who everyone pines for likes each other. Then there are evil girls who are jealous, thus being a bitch to the unpopular girl. This is exactly what happened with this book, only with a few more additions in between.

Saying those things, I should not like this book, however after closing the book, I realized that I actually enjoyed it and couldn't wait to read the next one. Although I did find some errors in grammar in the beginning of the book, I still liked the story. It's kind of beyond reason since I have no idea why I enjoyed this book, but I did.

Overall, this is a book that I would recommend for those looking for a quick read to pass the time, but only if you don't mind cliches. 

**Edit: Huh, so I just found out that this book has over 300 pages, although I swear I felt like it was a quick read! I guess that's a point to add tho why I liked the book, yay!

I liked it. Would maybe recommend

Review of Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Title: Plus One

Author: Elizabeth Fama

Hardcover, 373 pages

Published: April 8th, 2014

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Genre: YA - Dystopia

It takes guts to deliberately mutilate your hand while operating a blister-pack sealing machine, but all I had going for me was guts.

Sol Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller in an America rigidly divided between people who wake, live, and work during the hours of darkness and those known as Rays who live and work during daylight. Impulsive, passionate, and brave, Sol deliberately injures herself in order to gain admission to a hospital, where she plans to kidnap her newborn niece—a Ray—in order to bring the baby to visit her dying grandfather. By violating the day-night curfew, Sol is committing a serious crime, and when the kidnap attempt goes awry it starts a chain of events that will put Sol in mortal danger, uncover a government conspiracy to manipulate the Smudge population, and throw her together with D'Arcy Benoît, the Ray medical apprentice who first treats her, then helps her outrun the authorities—and with whom she is fated to fall impossibly and irrevocably in love.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights—and a compelling, rapid-fire romantic adventure story.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD

I have to say, after years of loyal devotion to the genre, I've realized I'm sick to death of dystopian fiction. I don't know if it is due to the fact that I've binge-read a lot of it or because dystopian books really have become repetitive, but they all seem to blur together, until I wonder if Cassia was Divergent or Tally got matched with Ky or maybe Thomas participated in the Hunger Games?! 

Plus One made me realize all of this, precisely because it's not your typical dystopian book. Yes, there is politics, government corruption, outcasts, persecution and discrimination against one social class (because if you think of it, it's obvious that people who live during the day will be more productive than those who live during the night, because biologically the human body is "programmed" to sleep during the night). BUT Sol is not a heroine, she's not the chosen one with special abilities, she doesn't fight or shoot and she doesn't want to free herself from her Smudge restrictions. She just wants her Poppu to hold his grand-daughter before he dies. It took me some time to warm up to Sol, mostly because she's my exact opposite. I don't think I could be so selfless, and each time Sol was cynic, I kept hoping for a happy ending. However, once I understood more about her motives and past, I felt I could relate more to her, although some times she was infuriating, because she was so willing to sacrifice her future! 

D'Arcy, on the other hand, was so easy to love! He seemed privileged, but we soon learned that his family was destroyed by the Ray/Smudge divide since his mother had been reassigned to Day. Since the story took place during a few days, I can understand why Sol and D'Arcy went from 0 to 300 in no time, but all the same it felt too rushed in some points, especially after the twist (which isn't actually a twist and I saw coming a mile away).

This is basically the same problem I had with the plot. It felt like riding a roller-coaster: some things were rushed and then there was a lull where they went to the national park or slept, followed by other action and then the tension dissipated again for a couple of chapters. I was fine with this rhythm because I prefer books focused on the development of the characters rather than action, but I can see how it can be off-putting for reader who love action-packed scenes. Also, the book ended quite abruptly and not how I would have wanted it to finish, though it was more realistic than those of other dystopian books.

Overall, although the plot felt choppy at times, I would recommend this book to everyone who is tired of dystopian literature but doesn't want to let go of it just yet!

I liked it a lot. Would recommend.

Review: Trouble From The Start by Rachel Hawthorn

Title: Trouble From The Start

Author: Rachel Hawthorne

Paperback, 400 pages

Published: April 28th, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA - Contemporary - Romance

Avery knows better than to fall for Fletcher, the local bad boy who can’t seem to outrun his reputation. Fletcher knows he shouldn’t bother with college-bound, daughter-of-a-cop Avery. But when their paths cross, neither can deny the spark. Are they willing to go against everything and let their hearts lead the way? Or are they just flirting with disaster? 

Trouble from the Start releases simultaneously with companion novel The Boyfriend Project. These heartwarming paperback originals are the perfect summer reads, great for fans of Jennifer Echols, Lauren Barnholdt, and Susane Colasanti.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

I probably should start by saying that I’m not a YA contemporary romance kind of girl, I usually prefer drama and pain over fluffiness and romance. That said, I cannot bring myself to dislike this book, not even a little! Is it clichéd? YES. Is it a little bit cheesy? YES. Did I enjoy it regardless? YOU CAN BET!

Trouble From The Start is your usual good girl falls for bad boy story, and it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. There were some twists I saw coming a mile away and, of course, it is revealed that Fletcher (a.k.a. bad boy) has a tragic back-story and it’s not as bad as his reputation suggests. Add to this the fact that the plot moved at a very slow pace, and you’ll understand why it took me a while to get engaged in the story. However, I soon didn’t care how many tropes were used, because I loved the characters and wanted to see how they could overcome their differences!

Avery (a.k.a. good girl) is not what you would expect from the heroine of this kind of story. Never was I more wrong than when I was convinced that in most of chick-lit books the girl just thought about the love interest all the time and pined for him until he decided to get his act together and be with her. Avery is such a smart and strong girl who has high expectations for herself. I like that she doesn’t feel like she needs to break the rules because she’s tired of being a good girl and that she isn’t willing to let go of her self-respect to have a on-off relationship with someone who doesn’t want to get serious. Fletcher has a rough life, with his mother being dead and his father beating him when he gets drunk, and that’s why he’s a guy of few words and unwilling to share or trust, with a reputation of getting into brawls and having a different girl every night. The book is written from both Avery’s and Fletcher’s POV, so you get to understand their thoughts and the reasons behind their actions really well, and I loved watching their romance unfold from both points of view. They really work as a couple and I laughed out loud when they bantered!

One thing that convinced me that this book deserved three stars was the lack of Absent-parent syndrome which seems to be a typical feature of YA lately. Avery’s family is amazing and supportive! They are not a dysfunctional family, and I appreciated that for once I got to read about a normal family with two caring parents and a funny adoptive brother without drama. I didn't like Avery's best friend Kendall, though. She was always trying to control Avery's life and always repeating that she had to find someone like Jeremy (Kendall's boyfriend), then she started whining about her boyfriend being too much of a good guy. This is why I'll probably won't read the companion novel, which is about Kendall trying to transform Jeremy into a bad boy. 

Overall, I’d say that Trouble From the Start is a fluffy and sweet story and I’d recommend it to fans of YA contemporary romance but also to everyone who needs some lightness and a swoony couple to ship!

Note: I decided to read this book because the synopsis is similar to a Disney channel movie I’ve recently watched on tv, Prom. To me, Avery and Fletcher have the same features of the main characters of the movie, so if you liked the book and you like Disney channel movies (and I know you won’t admit it in public!) I’d suggest watching Prom!

I liked it a lot. Would recommend.