I’m so looking forward to this! Anyone else? What do you think of the casting?
romance
Catch A Falling Star by Kim Culbertson
Kim Culbertson’s Catch a Falling Star is one of the best contemporary YA romances I’ve read so far this year. It has everything I want to see: a strong, relatable, intelligent protagonist, a swoon-worthy boy, great supporting characters (including good parents – YAY!), a setting I’d like to spend time in, and a cute, cleverly written plot sprinkled with some humor and sweetness.
Carter Moon is happy with her life – she helps out in her parents’ deli, she’s about to graduate high school with some great friends, and she loves the small town of Little, CA. The problem? Well, there are a few. One, she’s so content with her current life that she hasn’t made any plans for beyond high school. Two, she takes on too much responsibility for her brother’s gambling addiction. And three, she’s completely unprepared for the impact the filming of a Hollywood movie in Little will have on her nice, quiet little life.
When Adam Jakes, current teen heartthrob and object of almost every teenage girl’s obsession, comes to Little for his next Hollywood movie, he’s in need of some positive PR. When Adam’s manager sees Carter and her small-town sweetness, he hires her to “date” Adam while he’s in town to build up his public image (Carter only agrees so she can use the money to help her brother).
Adam is not prepared for a girl who speaks her mind and seems immune to his celebrity status, and Carter is not prepared to actually find some depth and humanity behind Adam’s public persona. The result? A really, really cute story reminiscent of Jen E. Smith’s This Is What Happy Looks Like. I devoured this is a day and instantly wanted more of Carter and Adam’s story. I’d love to see these characters reappear in future Culbertson titles.
Also, though these characters are upper high school age, I was really pleased to see that the book was totally clean and appropriate even for my middle schoolers to read. It was also pleasantly surprising to see that Carter’s parents are really good parents, models for the kinds of parents I wish we saw more in YA titles. Culbertson is a refreshing new voice in the YA world – I’d love to see this book on a bestseller list (and it would be perfect for a movie, too).
Catch a Falling Star releases today, so grab your copy now! Find it here on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller.
From She Reads: The Divergent Trilogy
This review originally posted on www.shereads.org last month.
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Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT series has taken the YA literary world by storm, comparable to the popularity of TWILIGHT and THE HUNGER GAMES in previous years. Some readers are eager to jump on the bandwagon and experience the latest all-the-rage series, while others are left with questions:
- Does it really stand up to the hype?
- Could it really be as good as The Hunger Games?
- Is it worth reading the book if I already saw the movie?
- Can I go see the movie with young adults without feeling awkward?
- Is the movie more than just a reason to go watch Theo James on the big screen for a few hours?
The answer is a whole-hearted YES on all counts.
DIVERGENT is a dystopian trilogy taking place in a far-future Chicago. War has left the city in disrepair, and in an effort to keep peace people are divided between five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intelligent), and Dauntless (the brave). When the story opens, the main character, Beatrice (Tris) Prior is preparing for the test that will help her choose which faction she’ll enter for her adulthood: Abnegation, which she was born into, or one of the other four. The drama begins, though, when Tris’s test results are inconclusive and she has to navigate society as one who doesn’t fit with just one faction; she is what they call Divergent, and that makes her a target of society leaders.
As a writer, Veronica Roth is incredibly talented. She has created a future world that is fascinating and believable, yet far-fetched enough that it feels not like home. There are references to known Chicago landmarks, making the setting recognizable and relatable. Her characters, while futuristic, are also completely relatable – it only takes a few pages to get drawn into Tris’s story, which starts in DIVERGENT, continues in INSURGENT, and resolves in ALLEGIANT. I’m also intrigued by the fact that she started writing this in college and, even now, with three books out, a major motion picture, and a fourth book coming soon, is only twenty-five years old. That’s crazy!
I saw the movie on opening night, and it was great. Really. But, it didn’t get anywhere near the level of detail that you find in the books. I know that’s a common complaint with movies based on books, but in this case it’s not just a casual observation about the movie; it’s a compliment to the depth of Roth’s writing. I love the way she has broken people down into factions to describe personality types and how that forces you think about human nature as you read. I love that there’s plenty of romantic appeal in Tris’s relationship with Four (played by Theo James, as seen in the movie poster) and that their relationship is supportive and exciting without being sexual. I love the suspense and intrigue that keep you reading without being able to stop – I blew through all three books in a week and just couldn’t get enough.
Basically, I just love this trilogy. This is one case where, whether you see the movie before or after reading the books, you really need to read the books. I won’t say they’re an easy, lighthearted read – the emotional rollercoaster is a wild one, and the characters and storyline will dominate your thoughts even while you’re not reading – but I will promise that they’re worth your time!
What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
I have to start by saying that I’m in love with Fitzpatrick’s cover, AGAIN. Her first book, My Life Next Door, was hands-down one of my favorite covers of the past few years.
Anyway, it’s not just pretty on the outside. Huntley Fitzpatrick’s writing is beautiful through and through. While I didn’t get to preview the whole of What I Thought Was True, the little snippet I got to read was full of promise, depth, and the beginnings of a gorgeous romance.
What I Thought Was True releases TODAY, so check it out! I’m betting it’ll hit the Bestseller lists. Find it here on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller.
The Romeo Club by Rebekah L. Purdy
I was given a copy of The Romeo Club by Swoon Romance because of my love of Cassie Mae’s books, which turned out to be perfect – Cassie and Rebekah definitely have similar styles, and they’ve both mastered the art of the light-hearted yet meaningful, predictable in the best possible way and still exciting, totally swoon-worthy romantic comedy.
The Romeo Club started out quickly with the protagonist, Delyla, helping her brother catch the eye of his crush when he requests a makeover. When that’s successful, she’s recruited by his group of nerdtastic friends to get the same makeover treatment. I don’t know… Have any teenagers seen the movie Clueless lately? I feel like that’s the best comparison I can make, though instead of a hopeless girl in need of a makeover we get to watch an entire Nerd Herd transform through the coaching of Delyla.
There were a lot of great things about The Romeo Club. One, there are some fun and well-written supporting characters. Two, Delyla has a sarcastic wit that leads to some really fun interactions with those supporting characters. Three, and what seems to be too rare in YA these days, The Romeo Club is pretty clean as far as language, sex, and alcohol/drugs go. Purdy is able to successfully write an interesting and romantic story without making the teenagers completely without morals.
The Romeo Club just came out this week, and it’s available on Amazon now. Check it out!
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
First of all, you can’t go into this book with any thoughts of Brashares’ previous YA titles, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, in your mind. It would be like expecting to find apples in a book all about oranges.
Second, this is a really beautifully done futuristic/dystopian kind of a thing with a flat-out gorgeous cover. It’s difficult to put a label on this book, but it’s intriguing from the very beginning. The concepts explored by Brashares in The Here and Now were compelling – I found myself thinking a lot about the idea of time, the future, the impact of everything on the future, global warming, disease, I don’t know. It was just very thought provoking, but not in a depressing way.
Prenna and Ethan are characters that I instantly wanted to know more about, and I found myself actually reading slower than usual so I could enjoy their story for longer. I love characters I can root for, whether it’s in a friendship or in a romantic relationship, and they didn’t disappoint. They make a great team. I was also super impressed with Prenna in the final third of the book – she develops into a force to be reckoned with, which is always fun to see in a YA novel.
My only complaint is that the ending felt abrupt. I don’t know if it’s being set up for a sequel or a trilogy or something… wouldn’t surprise me given the Pants books being a series. There was enough resolution that I felt satisfied, but not enough to wrap up all the loose ends, which I suppose is the perfect mix if it’s going to continue in the future. I’ll definitely be picking up any future books related to The Here and Now!
You can find it here on Amazon, or in your favorite book store, on April 8th. Enjoy!
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
So obviously a book titled Love Letters to the Dead is going to be a pretty emotional one, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for all there is to find in here.
Through a series of letters written to dead people ranging from Kurt Cobain to Amelia Earhart to Elizabeth Bennet written over the course of a school year, Laurel explores some seriously heavy topics. Her parents divorced, her sister May died, her mom moved away, she switched schools… and that all happened before the book actually picks up. As Laurel writes these letters, working through the decomposition of her family, May’s death, and revealing snippets of the circumstances surrounding her death, she begins to heal and come through as herself rather than just a shell of May. She also experiences her first love, and I really appreciated Sky’s character for his role in Laurel’s healing process. He’s honest and caring and doesn’t try to take advantage of Laurel in her fragile state. He’s there when she needs him.
There were a few times I almost stopped reading. Too much sadness, too much belittling of the religious aunt, too much teen drinking, too much stuff. But I have to admit that I’m so glad I didn’t stop. Laurel is a very realistic teenage girl wrestling with things that most teenagers have to deal with in some way or another, and while she makes some decisions I wouldn’t want my students making, she definitely learns from her mistakes. She comes out a better person than she was going in. I admire Laurel – especially who Laurel becomes by the end of the book – for how she deals with things that have happened to her and makes a conscious choice to change the trajectory of her life.
By the time I was two-thirds done with Love Letters to the Dead, I liked it. When I finished it, I really liked it. After it had a few hours to settle and sink in, I loved it. In the vein of The Fault in Our Stars, it’s not a frilly, finish in a day and smile the whole way through kind of book, but it is a stick with you and make your heart feel full kind of a book. I have a feeling that Laurel and Sky will be with me for a while.
Love Letters to the Dead comes out this Tuesday, April 1st. Find it here on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller!
The Divergent Movie is HERE!!!
Cover Reveal: Don’t Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein
Don’t Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein
Summary from Goodreads:
In which a teenage girl endures the over-protective love of her adoptive mother until she falls for a boy who has her wanting to spread her wings, pitched as a contemporary retelling of RAPUNZEL.
Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn’t go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn’t even have a best friend. But Anya doesn’t seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she’s allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she’s lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she’s ever cared about.
Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn’t go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn’t even have a best friend. But Anya doesn’t seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she’s allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she’s lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she’s ever cared about.
Swoon Romance wants you to help them decide the cover for Don’t Fall!
They have three lovely cover options for you to choose from. Please vote below on your favorite cover!
They have three lovely cover options for you to choose from. Please vote below on your favorite cover!
Option #1: Designed by Taylor.ink, photograph by Beth Mitchell
Option #2: Photographed and designed by Laura Lanning
Option #3: Designed by Anna Zaffke, photo from Shutterstock.by Aleshyn_Andrei
Option #3: Designed by Anna Zaffke, photo from Shutterstock.by Aleshyn_Andrei
About the Author:
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.
Author Links:
Cover Reveal Organized by:
Veronica Mars Movie – It’s out now!
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Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists 