Tabitha's Book Blog

A young adult book blog where I read and review the books I like - and then maybe some that I don't like.

Review: Life By Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

Life by Committee - Corey Ann Haydu

Paul & Cate:

Tabitha’s relationship with her parents in this book was my favorite part of Life By Committee. There wasn’t really any reason other than the fact that their relationship with their daughter was so refreshing, and they were more like friends than anything else. They had Tabitha when they were sixteen, and she’s sixteen - so I’m assuming they’re in their early thirties. Which is so young. My only reservation when it came to their relationship is that I wish it had been explored more. There is a bit of tension, and it was never fully resolved. But other than that I loved the parent-daughter relationship.

 

UPDATE: I almost forgot about how Cate and Paul are both avid readers and make sure that Tabitha never loses sight of how important reading is and drag her away from her computer at times.

 

“This one here’s my best friend. We’ve got something special. Cate and I have very separate relationships with her. Like it should be.” - Paul talking about Tabitha. (pg. 188)

 

Life By Committee (LBC):

  1. Tell a secret, you’re in.
  2. Get an assignment, must complete to stay in group and have secrets kept.
  3. New secret every week to stay an active member.

 

Everything about LBC was super intriguing. Tabitha stumbles upon this website during a time where she needed something to keep her going. The group essentially pushes its members to always go to the next level, to challenge themselves and see where it may lead them. And at first it’s great. But with each new assignment, the stakes are raised and it gets to a point where you’re not sure if this is really what’s best for the people involved. Over time, the assignments started to effect not only Tabitha, but the people she’s closest to. There was this one scene in the coffee shop where I was literally about to throw my book because things were getting so screwed up. And Tabitha realizes it. But she can’t not complete an assignment - because her secrets could be made public.

 

Even writing about it now is making me jittery.

 

Everything isn't black and white:

I really shouldn’t have liked Tabitha as much as I did. But she was a really compelling character and it was hard not to like her. I’m not justifying the things she does in this book, but I could see where she was coming from. She actually believes that the things she’s doing aren’t that bad and that everything will work out in the end. I also really felt for her because her “friends” dropped her because she decided that she was interested in her appearances and boys. She still liked to hangout with her family, and active read - she just had other interests as well.

 

Life By Committee has easily become one of my favorite releases of 2014. I have a few minor reservations, but nothing that could change that verdict. It’s a book that I’m already planning to buy when it’s released as a paperback, and I will then be rereading it because Corey Ann Haydu’s books are the kind that deserve to be reread.

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2014/07/30/review-life-by-committee-by-corey-ann-haydu

Review: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

Wish You Were Italian - Kristin Rae
Such a cute, summery novel! Makes me want to explore Italy.

1. Travel! : Now, I’ve never been to Italy, but it’s definitely somewhere I want to visit in the future! Pippa’s descriptions (Rae’s descriptive writing) made me feel like it was somewhere I’d been before. It was obvious that the author had been to this country and was familiar with the places she spoke about. And travelling wasn’t just a means to move the plot forward. Every new place that Pippa explored helped her to grow and become more confident in herself.

2. Supporting Characters! : Supporting characters are always one of my favorite aspects of travel books. In these kinds of books, I feel like they serve a special, even more important purpose than they would otherwise. Throughout her travels, Pippa meets a variety of people who all help her in different ways. Chiara, the girl who whisks Pippa away to Cinque Terre and gives her the occasional push back into reality (because Pippa tends to get lost in her thoughts). Morgan, the best friend from home whose farewell gift inspires Pippa to take risks throughout her vacation.

3. Enjoyable Love Triangle! : I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but I don’t always mind a love triangle. Sometimes they’re done really well, and sometimes (like with Wish You Were Italian), the outcome doesn’t really matter to me and I’m just along for the ride. Plus, the two potential love interests are equally engaging and develop over the course of the novel… even though you totally know who she’s going to end up with.

4. Pippa! : I really liked Pippa’s character, just because what she does is so adventurous and different from anything I would do. And that’s what made her such a great character because you see throughout the story that she’s struggling with the decisions she’s making and I really loved reading about the internal dilemma she was having.

Wish You Were Italian was a really enjoyable novel and it was only Kristin Rae’s debut, so I’m sure the rest of her books will be just as fun. If you’re looking for a quick read with loads of cute moments, cute boys, and travel than this is the book for you.

What do you think? Does this sound like a book you would enjoy? Are you into travel books where the main characters discover new things about themselves? Comment and let me know!
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2014/07/22/review-wish-you-were-italian-by-kristin-rae

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash into You - Katie McGarry

Isaiah 's story is the one I've been waiting for since the beginning. I remember when Pushing the Limits was released and the relationship between Isaiah and Beth was hinted at, but then things never came to play - I was disappointed, but I knew Katie McGarry had something even better planned. And she did not disappoint. Crash Into You is my favorite in the series, and it’s the book I accredit to getting me out of my reading slump.

 

ISAIAH. ISAIAH. ISAIAH. I didn’t think it was possible to love a character this much, but I do. Maybe it’s because I’ve been waiting since book one for his story to be told, or maybe it’s just the fact Katie McGarry is one of the best at creating characters that you can’t help but love. I don’t really care why, I just know that Isaiah is one of my favorite book guys of the year. *cough, Number 1, cough* And then there’s Rachel. When her character was first introduced, I had a hard time connecting with her. I found her a bit annoying at first, but as the story progressed (two chapters in) I was hooked.

 

At first glance, Isaiah and Rachels relationship is going to look like insta-love. And maybe that’s what it is, but because of everything they both have been through, I think it’s acceptable this time around. They’re both broken, not beyond repair, but broken. They enter each others lives at the perfect time, and it’s just soooo good. I don’t know how else to describe it. Their relationship is kind of just perfect. I can’t even. 

 

The one thing about this book that I didn’t enjoy was all of the car talk. However, that was just a personal preference. I didn’t understand half of the things that were coming out of the characters mouths during these scenes, but I saw the importance. Cars are what initially bring Isaiah and Rachel together, and a portion of the plot is centered around cars, so it was an easy flaw to overlook. (if you can even call it that)

 

When it comes to this series, I can’t even begin to express my love for it. It’s one of my favorite contemporary series, and if you haven’t already started it. I recommend doing it now. Between the three books in the series, I can guarantee that you’ll enjoy one of the books. BECAUSE THEY ARE AMAZING.

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/12/02/blog-tour-review-crash-into-you-by-katie-mcgarry

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point - Kasie West

Going into Pivot Point, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I hoped that I’d enjoy it -( Kasie West is a local author), and I did end up loving it – I just wasn’t sure of what to expect going into it. It seems that every year there are books that everyone seems to enjoy, and Pivot Point is definitely one of those. The book started of a little slow for me, but slowly I started to become invested in Addie’s story. We’re seeing these two different possible outcomes to her future play out, and you guys. It’s both addicting and infuriating. Come a certain point, you’ll know which future you want her to pick, and from there on you won’t be able to set the book down.

 

Without delving too far into the plot of Pivot Point, I can say without a doubt that the way Kasie West told Addie’s story was incredible.  The book follows Addie as she uses her ability to look six weeks into two possible versions of her future. The way it’s told is weird, and I mean that in the best possible way. Each chapter alternates between the two different futures, and I think that this way of telling the story could have very easily gone wrong, but thankfully it didn’t. It was actually really interesting because with both possible paths – you were able to see how closely they were linked. As the story progresses, little events start to match up, and I was literally pointing everything out and muttering to myself things like “this makes sense now” – it was great.

 

One of my favorite things about Pivot Point was the world that the characters lived in. This book is one of those rare ones where it’s a science fiction/paranormal type story that reads like a contemporary. However, as much as I loved the world building and how unique it was, I still have a ton on questions that I’m hoping will be answered in the sequel. Throughout the book there are little things here and there mentioned, but not entirely explained. I could definitely do for a bit of background history on “The Compound” and why only a select group of people have the mind abilities mentioned throughout the book.

 

Holy freaking romance! I loved the romantic element in this book so hard. Seriously. Throughout the entire book we’re seeing these two different scenarios for how Addie’s life may end up, and you’ll literally be feeling all of the feels. For awhile I was loving both guys – I was quoting Hannah Montana and telling myself that it’s the “best of both worlds” and that I’d be happy with whatever life she ended up choosing. But somewhere along the way, I found myself rooting for one guy more so than the other, and then a certain event made up my mind. Not that the guy is the deciding factor for which path she ends up choosing, because it isn’t. There is so much more to the story than the romance, but it was definitely a good one that I enjoyed.

 

Overall, Pivot Point is a book that anyone who is a fan of the paranormal/sci-fi genre should read. It’s definitely one of the books that I consider a must read of 2013, and think that fans of both the contemporary and paranormal sci-fi genre will enjoy. The book also leaves off on one those endings that isn’t a cliffhanger, but leaves you with enough questions that you’re dying for the next book.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/08/19/review-pivot-point-by-kasie-west

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out - Kody Keplinger

Shut Out is Kody Keplinger’s sophomore novel, and if i hadn’t already been a huge fan of hers – then this book would have definitely won me over. It isn’t necessarily her best book, but is enjoyable and brings up some important topic. It’s a modern-day retelling of the play. Lysistrata – which is the story of one woman who persuades the women of Ancient Greece to withhold sex from their spouses in order to end a war. The story is a bit more complicated than that, but that’s pretty much the gist of it.

 

Taboo topics are discussed.

Kody Keplinger is one of the few young adult authors who – correct me if I’m wrong – deals with sex in such a matter-of-fact way. Her books don’t shy away from the less talked about, more uncomfortable aspects of the topic, and I love it. Shut Out features a ton of topics that aren’t normally discussed (both in books and in daily life) – expectations, stereotypical roles, slut-shaming. They’re all incorporated into the story in such a way that what the characters are experiencing is brought to your attention, but you’re not being lectured about the topics.

 

A bit of fluff isn’t always bad, as long as it has a purpose.

There was one thing about Shut Out that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and that was the introduction to all of these seemingly pointless things. I won’t go into detail (mainly because I can’t remember the specifics), but this was something that really bugged me. It was almost as if these things were there just to give the book more content. Not always a bad thing, as long as they have significance to the characters or even the plot – which they didn’t.

 

The one where Harrison Caryle is hit on … again.

Hamilton High! I know that this isn’t part of a companion series, but all of Keplinger’s books are set in this fictional town (the name escapes me), and I just love it. The shopping mall, the all ages club thing, the parties. All of it is great! And then my favorite part. In all of Keplinger’s books – there is a girl who hits on Harrison – and it’s so funny, because he likes guys. It’s not funny that he likes guys, it’s just funny because it always happens. In this book, we get more of a look at the inner workings of the school, and I loved it. The whole idea of the rivalry between the soccer and football team was beyond ridiculous, but it worked – and provided quite a bit of humor.

 

Great cast of characters.

Our main character, Lissa – was so freaking infuriating. But I kind of loved her at the same time. Most of her actions contradicted each other, and the things she said compared to what she actually did, didn’t match up. But it made her real. I could relate to her, and that’s really all I ever look for in a character. OKAY. Not really. But it’s one of the many things that I look for. And then there’s the secondary characters. Keplinger writes some of the best secondary characters. They always bring this extra something to the story, and Shut Out is no exception.

 

Kody Keplinger has this uncanny ability to write some of the cheesiest romances I’ve ever read – they’re cliches, and the guys almost always have ridiculous names, but I don’t care. Somehow she just makes it all work. Cash Sterling, while no Wesley Rush – is definitely swoon worthy, and deserves his own paragraph. Cash and Lissa’s relationship is freaking incredible. From the moment he’s introduced, you can see the sparks flying between him and Lissa. It’s great, and you guys. There is a LIBRARY SCENE. If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean, and if not. Well, you have something to look forward to.

 

In conclusion.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Kody Keplinger’s books I would definitely recommend this one to you. And then if you’re a fan of contemporaries who deal with the topic of sex in an incredible way then this is the book for you. It wasn’t my favorite novel of hers, but it was very enjoyable.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/08/22/review-shut-out-by-kody-keplinger

Review: Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Fall for Anything - Courtney Summers

Fall for Anything by  
Published by  on December 21, 2010 
Genres:  
Pages: 230 
Source:  
five-stars

 

Can I start off by saying – how freaking perfect is that cover? I’m in love with it, not only because it’s really nice looking, but because it goes perfectly with the story. OKAY. My mini- rant is over.

 

Fall for Anything is the second book by Courtney Summers that I’ve read, and it definitely will not be the last. I wasn’t expecting to love this book nearly as much as I do. I expected it to be good – I’ll give it that, but I didn’t expect it to be this good.

 

Our main character, Eddie – is dealing with the loss of her father, having only died a few weeks prior to the beginning of the story – things are still pretty bad at her home. And it’s not even that her father has passed away, it’s that he committed suicide and left no explanation. Throughout the novel, Eddie goes through countless stages of the grieving process and is constantly wondering what it was that pushed him over the edge, and worrying that it was her that pushed him over the edge.

 

The characters in this book were all so incredible and fully fleshed out. Eddie was this entirely unlikable character for the majority of the book, but then at the end you see how much of an incredible character she is. Does that make sense? It’s like there was this slow build up to her characters transformation, but then when it happens you realize it’s been there the whole time? I don’t know – it’s hard to describe and I’m obviously not doing a good job at describing it, but I tried.

 

The secondary characters were just as incredible as the main protagonist. There’s Milo – the best friend who doesn’t know how to help Eddie and always calls her out on her BS. Beth – the mean friend of her mothers, who turns out to not be so mean. And then Culler. AH. Such a frustrating character. He just waltzes in and lures Eddie in by making her believe he can help her to understand her fathers suicide – and he does. In a way – it’s just strange and I cannot believe I didn’t predict it.

 

So basically, Courtney Summers is a freaking genius – and I’ll read all of her books after this one. This review is written in a fairly poor manner, just because I couldn’t think of words to describe how I felt about this book.

 

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/07/04/review-fall-for-anything-by-courtney-summers

Review: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly - Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly by  
Published by  on July 2, 2013 
Genres:  
Pages: 272 
Source:  
two-stars

 

Truly, Madly, Deadly was a book that that an incredible amount of potential. It had the potential to be one of those books that creeps you out to no end and keeps you up at night because you couldn’t possibly sleep after reading something like that. It was definitely an entertaining book – it had it’s moments, but it wasn’t something that I loved.

 

Sawyer – you are not Veronica Mars

Sawyer Dodd – you are an incredibly frustrating character, and a lot of the things you did – did not make sense. Why didn’t you tell someone about what was happening to you? (in the case of abuse and the stalker), why did you make so many irrational decisions? And how in the midst of all of this did you form your own investigation and manage to steal police files? It was just one of those things that didn’t make sense, and due to my recent marathon of the Veronica Mars series – I kept writing down in my notes that she wasn’t Veronica Mars…

 

Awkward Pacing

The book was fairly short, and I think that the length of it took away from the overall story. It was kind of like all of these different events were being thrown at us, and they weren’t necessarily random or even bad to the plot – it’s just that the story was paced in a way that made everything seem rushed. I would have rather read about a few key events and gotten a ton of description, rather than a ton of events with barely any details. It kind of felt like things were thrown into the story at times – just for the sake of making it creepier.

 

Why was that even included?

One thing that I didn’t understand, or particularly enjoy was the inclusion of Saywer’s abusive boyfriend – Kevin, in the story. He had a purpose – his death was the catalyst that began the story, but that whole part of the plot was underdeveloped. I know it wasn’t the focus of the story, but I would have really liked to see more of it in the flashbacks that were provided. How long had it been happening? When did it start? Why did she stay with him for so long?

 

Also, another thing that I didn’t understand – was why. WHY. Were there so many little subplots? I think the intention was to create more suspects, and to generate interest in the reader. But I just didn’t get that. There was a slightly creepy locker friend, a creepy teacher, a strange best friend, a deceased abusive boyfriend, a possible mental illness. I don’t know. Maybe, I look too much into the little details, but I honestly didn’t see the point for half of these events.

 

Basically…

Truly, Madly, Deadly wasn’t a favorite of mine, but it was definitely an entertaining read. It had all of the qualities of a great book, but it was just missing that extra something that makes me really enjoy a book. If you’re a fan of the murder mystery/thriller novel – I think you should give it a chance, but it’s not a book I strongly recommend.

 

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/07/07/review-truly-madly-deadly-by-hannah-jayne

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Golden - Jessi Kirby

Golden by  
Published by  on May 14, 2013 
Genres:  
Pages: 278 
Source:  
four-half-stars

 

Every now and then I’ll read a book that makes me remember why I love YA Contemporary so much, and GOLDEN is one of those books. I actually had to change my initial rating of 4 stars to 4.5 stars because I love this book so much.

 

Things I Loved:

Parker and Julianna’s stories. They were completely different people, and they have something like a ten year age gap – but while reading Parker’s reactions to Julianna’s journal entries you see that they’re actually really similar and Parker starts to grow as a person after reading her entries. AND IT’S JUST SO PERFECT.

 

The characters! Parker is like this stereotypical good girl, but when she gets the opportunity to do ONE crazy thing she takes that chance, and she matures so much during that period of time. Then there was the best friend, Kat – who I loved. The love interest, Trevor – who I adored. And the mysterious Julianna who we got to know through journal entires.

 

How the story is a romance, but it’s not really a romance. It has that element, but it never overruns the overall story. It definitely takes a backseat to the plot, but it was SO cute. I especially enjoyed Parker and Trevor’s relationship, but then there was also Julianna’s whole story. And I don’t want to delve into that because it’s amazing and something that needs to be read about firsthand.

 

I narrated the story in a very Veronica Mars like way. (I recently watched the entire series) It made it that much more of an entertaining read, just because I was able to relate it to something I love.

 

Things I Didn’t Love:

The one thing I didn’t like was how for awhile I was more invested in Julianna’s story. I wanted to know what was happening between her Shane and Orion. I wanted to know what happened the night of the accident. Basically, I just wanted to skip all of Parker’s story and read hers. This only lasted about two chapters, but it still happened.

 

Basically…:

This book was incredible and anyone who wants to read a unique coming of age novel needs to read it. This will probably become one of those books that I force upon people, but it was so good. And honestly. I could have gone on for a good 10 more points about things I loved, but I refrained from doing so.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/07/08/review-golden-by-jessi-kirby

Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Why We Broke Up - Daniel Handler, Maira Kalman

Why We Broke Up by  
Published by  on December 27, 2011 
Genres:  
Pages: 354 
Source:  
two-stars

Daniel Handler has written some of my all time favorite books – The Series of Unfortunate Events series, so going into WHY WE BROKE UP, I had high expectations. I should have stopped myself because high expectations are always the downfall for books when it comes to me, but I didn’t. And WHY WE BROKE UP ended up being a disappointing read.

 

The thing about WHY WE BROKE UP is that I had no idea what the characters were talking about half of the time. I followed along for the most part, but there were just so many of them that I couldn’t keep up. And then I couldn’t get it out my head that the main character, Min – wouldn’t like me because I don’t understand them.

 

I really enjoyed the way the book was set up. It was basically one very long letter to Ed from Min – detailing the reasons for their relationships demise. She begins with when they first met, all the way to their break up. It was interesting and definitely a unique way to set up a book. This was actually where the illustrations came into play – she had this box of all of these mementos from their relationship and she talked about that particular event and how she should have known they wouldn’t work out. It would have been fantastic had it been executed in a slightly different manner.

 

The writing in this book was incredible – there’s no doubt about that, it’s just. The whole thing felt extremely awkward, and I just couldn’t get into it. Aspects of the story seemed forced at times, and I’m almost positive that the reason why i didn’t like this book was purely due to personal taste.

 

Min was definitely a character that i could have grown to like under different circumstances. I like to believe that the reason why i didn’t connect with her character was because what she was doing didn’t make sense – and that she was suffering from a momentary lapse of reason. I enjoyed seeing her go back and realize that her relationship with Ed wasn’t all she’d cracked it up to be, but I couldn’t connect with her due to the way the story was told.

 

WHY WE BROKE UP wasn’t a bad book – it just wasn’t my type of book. If you’re not into books with obscure references and one being told in letter form and flashbacks then I definitely wouldn’t recommend this one – and if you’re looking for another Series of Unfortunate Events than this isn’t the book for you. However, if you’re looking for a unique contemporary than I’d say give this one a chance.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/07/10/review-why-we-broke-up-by-daniel-handler

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up in Flames - Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by 
Published by  on May 7, 2013 
Genres:  
Pages: 307 
Source:  
Goodreads 
three-half-stars

 

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was exactly what I needed after reading a pretty disappointing book. It had all the aspects of a great summer read – a slightly crazy main character (in a good way), a road trip, a strong family dynamic, and cute boys. It sounded like it was going to be amazing, and it was definitely a good book, but it was just missing that extra something that makes me adore a novel.

 

Our main character, Rosie – is someone you can’t help but love. The book starts with her being served a temporary restraining order from her ex-boyfriend because she lit his car on fire. There’s much more to it than that, but that’s basically what happened. She describes her personality perfectly when she says “I don’t have a bad temper, I’m passionate.” – because really that’s what she is. She always means well, but somewhere between her initial idea of what she should do and actually executing it – something always goes wrong. And she does spend the majority of the book pining for her ex-boyfriend, violating her restraining order, and then crushing on new guys (note how I said GUYS) – but that aspect didn’t bother me.

 

The road trip was by far my favorite part of the book! Mainly because it features three secondary characters who really stole the book from Rosie at times. Talk about scene stealers! Matty, Spencer, and Logan were the characters that made this book enjoyable at times. Sure, Rosie’s character was interesting and her problems with the restraining order was interesting, but it got repetitive at times. And that’s where these secondary characters come in! They’re such a unique group of people, and they just own who they are. They like all of this nerdy stuff (in a good way), and they’re not ashamed! They literally planned out every stage of their road trip and I just loved it.

 

I think what brought this book down from the initial four star rating I had originally set on, was the ending. It was a good ending, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that – everything felt a little too perfect by the end. I get that Rosie grew as a person during her time on the road, but she couldn’t have matured that much. However, it was good ending. And the romance? AH. I don’t want to spoil the who it is for anyone, so just know it’s there and it’s subtle. In a good way.

 

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was an enjoyable summer read, not the best but definitely not the worst. I’m having a hard time pinpointing exactly what was missing from this book, but there was just something not there, and it took away from the overall reading experience.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/07/10/review-how-my-summer-went-up-in-flames-by-jennifer-salvato-doktorski
SPOILER ALERT!

Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover

I live this book.

And my review isn’t nearly going to do it justice

 

Colleen Hoover has officially become one of my favorite authors. OKAY. I decided that after reading her first book, SLAMMED – but I feel like now that I’ve read four books of hers – I can say it without feeling impulsive. With LOSING HOPE, she’s told a story that I didn’t even realize that I needed to read.

 

Dean freaking Holder. What a character! In Hopeless, we see him and I’m pretty sure everyone and their mothers fell in love with his character (in my case it was my grandmother) – but in LOSING HOPE, we really SEE him. You have to understand that LOSING HOPE isn’t just a retelling of Hopeless in the guys POV. It’s Holder’s story. Sure, those key moments from HOPELESS are incorporated into the story – but there’s so much more to it than that. We get to see how losing Hope when he was kid has affected him his whole life, how losing his sister has affected him, how he interacts with his best friend, and so many other aspects of his life that are crucial to understanding his character.

 

The best part about LOSING HOPE was that while I already knew everything that was going to happen from reading HOPELESS – it didn’t stop me from being shocked when they did happen. Experiencing everything though Holder’s eyes, was like experiencing it for the first time – but so much more emotional, or at least I thought so.

 

And then on top of all of the emotional feels with this book – it was so freaking cute! Seeing everything through Holder’s eyes was eye opening and you see that while it may have seemed as if he was indifferent during parts of HOPELESS, he really wasn’t. And oh my goodness – the birthday present!! Everyone who’s read HOPELESS just needs to read this, so I can freakout with them over the sweetness of this moment! AHH. It’s probably not as incredible as I think it is, but seriously.

 

 

Daniel, Breckin, and Les. All secondary characters to the story, but I loved them all so much. Daniel – is Holder’s hilarious best friend, Breckin is Sky’s best friend and Holder’s “second-best-friend, and Les – is Holder’s deceased twin sister. All of these characters added an extra something to this book, and in completely different ways than the other.

 

If you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover’s novels than this one is a MUST READ for you, and if you enjoyed Hopeless than I strongly advise buying a copy of this book because you may not think you need to hear Holder’s story – but you really do.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/06/30/review-losing-hope-by-colleen-hoover

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder  - Marissa Meyer

Like so many times before – I let the hype surrounding a book halt my reading of said book. Cinderis a book that basically everyone has raved about since it’s initial release, and then when the sequel was released? All I would see is Cinder-this, Cinder-that – and it’s not a bad thing, it just put me off the book because I didn’t want to be disappointed. And oh my goodness! I’m so happy that I took so long to read Cinder – it was a little slow at first, but I ended up really enjoying it.

 

The thing about Cinder, is that the plot is predictable. From the beginning, you’ll know where the stories headed – sure there’s a few twists here and there, but nothing too drastic. And while that would have normally bothered me to no end – with Cinder it just works. The way Marissa Meyer writes about this futuristic world is incredible. The story starts off a little slow, but once you hit that 60 page mark – you don’t want to set it down. I was reading like crazy and when I ran out of pages – you can only imagine how frustrated I was.

 

Cinder was an amazing protagonist! She hasn’t always been dealt the best cards in life – what with being a cyborg and being adopted into a family where she’s thought of as a burden. But she always looks on the bright side. Well, the realistic side. She knows that her life isn’t the best and she works through that. And then there was Prince Kai! AH. I can only say this – I wish that we’d have gotten to see more of him in the book. The moments between him and Cinder were incredible and I cannot wait to see their relationship progress in the next book!

 

Cinder is a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I do, and that’s the best feeling in the world! Thinking you won’t enjoy a book and then loving it. I cannot wait to read more about this futuristic world that Marissa Meyer has created.

 
Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/06/26/review-cinder-by-marissa-meyer

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky

Whenever I’m asked to review a book by an author – I’m honored, but when the author has actually taken the time to see if my blog and or reading habits would match up with their book – I get ecstatic. And that’s exactly what Daria Snadowsky did when she asked me if I’d like a review copy of her book, Anatomy of a Boyfriend. And let me say this, I’m SO glad that I gave this book a chance, because I loved it.

 

The best part of this book was the different relationships and how they were all portrayed realistically. Dom and her best friend, Amy – were legitimately the perfect best friends. They were complete opposites in nearly every sense, but they brought out the best in each other. Dom was reserved while Amy was very outspoken and impulsive – they pushed each other to think about things in different ways, and their conversations were always honest – NO MATTER WHAT. Another relationship that I loved was the one between Dom and her parents. Parental figures aren’t always present in young adult books, so seeing them so active in her life was fantastic.

 

Then there was Wes! I’m not going to lie and say he’s one of my favorite book guys because he isn’t, but I loved his character. Not because he was incredible or swoon worthy or any of the good parts, but because he was such a big part in Dom’s growth as a person. He was her first boyfriend and pretty much her first everything, and while their relationship progresses rather quickly – it’s pretty realistic.

 

Another one of the best things about this book (sorry, but I think there’s a lot) was how completely realistic everything the characters went through was. This is kind of where things get awkward, but Daria Snadowsky definitely didn’t shy away from those uncomfortable topics like most authors tend to do. Nothing was sugar coated, well some of it was – but in a good way. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the book goes through the awkward stages of the characters having sex for the first time and their many failed attempts at some other things. It was refreshing to read something that didn’t fade to black for the uncomfortable parts. It was a little graphic at parts, but in a way that shows how awkward everything they were doing was.

 

So, basically – I adored this book. LIKE CRAZY. I know not everyone will, but I definitely recommend giving it a chance. It’s kind of on the edge of YA, andI know a lot of people will classify this book as a NA book – but I’m going to stick with YA and classify the second book in the series as NA. If you’re looking for a different type of contemporary novel than I definitely recommend this one.

 

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/06/27/1712

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something like Normal - Trish Doller

Something Like Normal was very different from what I expected it to be – and not in a bad way at all! I don’t know what I was thinking I was about to read, but this book exceeded every single one of my expectations, and it’s made me want to read more books that have a military theme and it definitely made me want to read more of Trish Doller’s books.

 

Travis has just returned from a one year stint in Afghanistan, and things are pretty hard for him. He’s just lost his best friend, Charlie – he’s returned to a home where he doesn’t feel like he belongs – a home with parents on the outs and a younger brother who has always wanted what Travis has. Then on top of his family issues, he can’t sleep at night due to nightmares from a traumatic event, and on one of his sleepless nights he somehow ended up at Harper’s house. The girl who was always talked badly about due to a rumor Travis started in middle school.

 

The thing about this book is that there isn’t any big moment where things crash down or a moment where all of the characters problems are resolved. And that may be unappealing to some, but I found it incredibly refreshing. Trish Doller didn’t reassure us that everything’s going to be okay – because really there’s no guarantee, but she did leave the story off in a hopeful manner. She also managed to tie all of the different events going on in Travis’ life together in a way that was just right. Not too overwhelming and definitely not understated.

 

The male POV in this book was incredible! Travis was such a unique character, and I feel like since he had already gone through something so big in his life – that his voice was more realistic. He was trying to deny what was happening to him, and I really enjoyed (not to sound mean) how vulnerable he was. It was a complete role reversal from the typical YA book. Usually it’s the girl that is vulnerable and the guy that swoops in to save her. Harper (the female protagonist) in this book was a really well developed character, and was a big part in Travis admitting that maybe he isn’t as… not so much invincible, but something along those lines – as he thinks.

 

Something Like Normal is a book that I believe is another one of those must read contemporaries. It’s a fairly short story, but there’s so much packed into that 214 pages that I think everyone should read. The topic of PTSD isn’t one I’m familiar about, but after reading Something Like Normal – I’m definitely interested in learning more about it.

 

Favorite Quotes:
“Maybe it’s time to find a new normal.”

 

Source: http://tabithasbookblog.com/2013/06/20/review-something-like-normal-by-trish-doller-2

Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Forget You - Jennifer Echols

Jennifer Echols has slowly weaseled her way into being one of my favorite authors. She writes about things that are relevant to... young adults without venturing into the new adult genre. So many important topics were covered in Forget You - suicide, divorce, sex, familial problems. They’re all dealt with in this book.


The thing about the book is that it has a slow beginning. It seems like it might not be the best and it may even seem a bit cliche, but then it hits this point in the story, and everything becomes fast paced and interesting. Almost to the point of being addicting - in a good way! The book isn’t necessarily long, but it sucks you in and you’ll probably finish it in one or two sittings.


Zoey Commander wasn’t my favorite of characters in the beginning. She let people walk all over her, and she was a little too gullible for my taste, but as the story progressed so did her maturity and she actually became a character that I came to admire. And then there was Doug! AH. Another one of my favorite book guys from a Jennifer Echols book. I don’t want to say too much about him, but he was definitely an interesting character.


If you’re looking for a fantastic contemporary novel - than Forget You is the definitely the book for you. It’s got a hint of mystery, deals with relevant issues, and has a kind of awesome romantic sidestory.

 

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The Forgotten Ones  - Laura   Howard

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