Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Pages: 227
Rating: 1/5

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds (goodreads.com).

I've read a few different books told in verse, and I'd heard good things about Lisa Schroeder so I wanted to give her a try.  I Heart You, You Haunt Me is a short, fast read that I was able to complete in one sitting.  However, unlike the other books in verse that I've read, I didn't love it.  In fact, I didn't even really like it.

For one thing, I absolutely detested the main character Ava.  I'm not really sure what it was about her I didn't like, but she constantly grinded on my nerves.  I just found her to be a bit whiney and depressing.  Not exactly great character traits for the main person in the story.  Secondly, I thought the book was much too short to fully flush out the story.  Many of the other books I've read in verse have been around 400 to 600 pages.  At a little over 200, I thought this book seemed to be a bit rushed.

I'd looked forward to reading this one for quite a while, so I was disappointed in my feelings about it.  However, I'd like to give Schroeder another chance and see if it was just this particular book I didn't like or any of her books.  Wish me luck!!

Review: Fall Out

Title: Fallout
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Pages: 672
Rating: 3.5/5

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.

Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she’s ever known crumbles, Autumn’s compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there’s more of Kristina in her than she’d like to believe. Summer doesn’t know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father’s girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother’s notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.

Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem (goodreads.com).

The first book I ever read by Ellen Hopkins was Crank, and while depressing, I was extremely moved by the story itself.  I was excited to read Glass when it was released, and couldn't wait to get my hands on Fallout.  However, despite my initial enthiusiam, Fallout fell flat for me.  I'm not sure if it was the fact that it was told from Kristina's children's view, or if it was the fact that I was burnt out on the entire story line, but I felt that this particular story seemed to drag a lot more than either of the two prior novels.

One thing I did enjoy about Fallout was the way that Hopkins allowed us to see what happened to minor characters we had seen in the first two books through short news clippings and articles scattered throughout the pages of the texts.  It did help to wrap up a lot of loose ends that remained at the end of Glass.  I also enjoyed Hopkins writing style.  Her poems are always delivered in neat designs and often you'll find that there's almost two poems in one.  However, I did read this on the Kindle, and I felt that a lot of the power of the set up of the book was lost in e book format.  I think from now on I'll be reading Hopkins books the old fashioned way!

My favorite character in this book was Hunter.  I think its because I felt the closest connection to him since he was Kristina's first child and we learned so much about him in both Crank and Glass.  I had a hard time connecting with both Autumn and Summer.  I had a hard time feeling anything towards them.  In fact, they both almost got on my nerves, especially towards the end of the story. 

This was definitely my least favorite of the trilogy and I'm glad it's the last book in Kristina's story.  I'm not really sure how much more of it I can take before I threw a book across the wall, she just makes me that angry!!  If you read Crank and Glass, I would definitely say to read Fallout because it gives a lot of closure to the story, but I certianly wasn't awed by it like I have been previously by Hopkins.

Review: Bitter End

Title: Bitter End
Author: Jennifer Brown
Pages: 359
Rating: 4/5

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself (goodreads.com).

Last year, Jennifer Brown's debut novel, Hate List was one of my top reads.  I was extremely moved by that novel, and was thrilled to see she had another book coming out.  I downloaded Bitter End onto my Kindle the day of its release and finished it by the next morning.  While I didn't love it like I did Hate List, I was still quite moved by the story and Brown's writing.

Bitter End is a raw, moving teen contemporary.  I thought Brown did a good job of tackling the tough topic of domestic abuse, and at times I felt as though I could feel every bit of Alex's emotions.  One of my favorite things about Brown's books is her character development, and Bitter End was no different.  By the end of the story, I felt like I knew Alex as well as I knew myself.  And I understood why she felt the way she did about Cole.  Cole was a product of his environment.  His father was abusive and degrading to women.  Cole didn't know of any other way to be.  I'm not saying that that is an excuse, I'm just seeing how a person can get to be that way.

All in all, I really enjoyed Bitter End.  The only issue I had was the ending.  I felt there was some issues that were left hanging, but I'll let you see that for yourself!

Review: Jellicoe Road

Title: Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
Pages: 432
Rating: 5/5

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future (goodreads.com)

For my first Mother's Day, Hubby bought me a Kindle which I have named Geraldine.  I love her!!  The first book I downloaded and quickly read was Jellicoe Road.  And can I just say, it was simply amazing.  I don't understand why I haven't heard more about this book on the blogs.  Maybe I'm just behind, but I couldn't put this down. 

First of all, Marchetta's writing is absolutely exquisite.  I can't think of a better word to even describe it.  The book simply flows, with this gorgeous writing that had me enveloped in layers upon layers of emotions.  I loved every minute of it.  I immediately fell in love with the characters, and was brought to tears by the last page.  It was one of those books in which I immediately wanted to start reading it again. 

I know a lot of people have started this book and given up on it because it was confusing.  DON'T DO IT!!  Stick with it, keep notes, do whatever you have to do.  Once the story is right in your mind, you'll be so happy you stuck with it.  Each of the characters just crawls into your head, and pretty soon you'll feel as though you are hanging out with them.  Their story will become your story.  Trust me on this one. 

I'm looking forward to reading more of Marchetta's writings, but Jellicoe Road will be a book that read again and again and again.  It touched me so profoundly, that I just can't say enough!  It's a story about forgiviness and moving on, friendship and love, life and death. 

Review: $#*! My Dad Says

Title: $#*! My Dad Says
Author: Justin Halpern
Pages: 158
Rating: 3/5

After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Halpern found himself living at home with his seventy-three-year-old dad. Sam Halpern, who is "like Socrates, but angrier, and with worse hair," has never minced words, and when Justin moved back home, he began to record all the ridiculous things his dad said to him:

"That woman was sexy. . . . Out of your league? Son, let women figure out why they won't screw you. Don't do it for them."

"The worst thing you can be is a liar. . . . Okay, fine, yes, the worst thing you can be is a Nazi, but then number two is liar. Nazi one, liar two."

More than a million people now follow Mr. Halpern's philosophical musings on Twitter, and in this book, his son weaves a brilliantly funny, touching coming-of-age memoir around the best of his quotes. An all-American story that unfolds on the Little League field, in Denny's, during excruciating family road trips, and, most frequently, in the Halperns' kitchen over bowls of Grape-Nuts, Sh*t My Dad Says is a chaotic, hilarious, true portrait of a father-son relationship from a major new comic voice (goodreads.com).

This past winter, hubby and I found ourselves rolling on the floor laughing at the new comedy starring William Shatner, called "$#*! My Dad Says."  At the time, I had no clue it was actually based on a book and that there was a man as funny and too the point as William Shatner's character.   However, after a little research, I discovered that it was based on a true story and had to get the book.

At times, $#*! My Dad Says had me rolling on the floor laughing.  I one point I had tears falling from my eyes.  However, at other times, I found myself being quite put off by the language used, and found it to be a bit offensive.  I certainly wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone.

Halpern's father is too the point, crude and also, in a strange way, extremely loving.  While at times, I was extremely taken aback by what he had to say, I totally understood the point he was trying to make.  Despite his tough exterior, Halpern's father truly cares about his son and it shows through on the pages of this book.  All in all, $#*! My Dad Says was a decent read, but now one I'll be returning to any time soon.

Review: What I Saw and How I Lied

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell
Pages: 281
Rating: 5/5

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.

As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who (powells.com)?

I bought this book for one reason...the cover.  Something about the 1940s Hollywood look hooked me and I had to have a copy.  Once I sat down with the book, I read it in one setting (with a newborn so this is an awesome feat).  I also gave this book five stars.  I was thoroughly taken with this book and can't say enough about it.

What I Saw and How I Lied is a mix between a really good mystery and a coming of age novel.  The book hooks you within the first few pages, foreshadowing of events to come:

We never went to the hotel dining room now.  They knew who we were; they'd seen our pictures in the paper.  We knew they'd be saying, Look at them eating toast - how can they be so heartless (pg 2)? 

From there, the story is told through flashbacks.  Evie's family is together again after the war, but one night after a mysterious phone call, Evie's stepfather packs the entire family up and takes them to Palm Beach, Florida.  Immediately, I thought something fishy was up - otherwise, why the made rush, and why the mystery.  What was Evie's stepfather hiding.

Once the family arrives in Florida, Evie meets a young war veteran named Peter.  She almost immediately falls in love with (as did I...Blundell created one of the most enticing male characters in young adult literature).  Peter fought in the war with Joe, Evie's stepfather, however, Joe wants absolutely nothing to do Peter.

From this point forward, the reader is caught in a rollercoast of lies and mistrust.  One thing after another begins to fall apart, and we as the reader, get to experience it first hand.  I personally couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  And once at the end, I wanted to start over again from the beginning.  That is how much this book hooked me.

Blundell has a new book out called Strings Attached about a young girl in 1950s New York.  I can't wait to get my hand on it and read it.  I'm hoping it is just as good, if not even better than What I Saw and How I Lied:

Review: If I Stay

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 234
Rating: 4.5/5

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands (ifistay.com).


Please explain to me why I wait so long to read books.  I've had this one on my shelf for a little over a year.  Back when I had all the time in the world to read, and still it took me until now to pick it up.  But I must say, I am glad I finally did.

In a single word, this book is beautiful.  It's beautifully written in a way that will catch your attention and will stick with you.  I found myself completely engulfed in the pages, staying up way past my bed time to finish.  I couldn't get enough of it.  The words just seemed to flow off the pages, creating this amazing story that I sunk into. 

I don't want to say much about the actual story because I don't want to ruin it for those readers who have yet to pick it up.  The twists and turns of this book hit you right in the face, like a head on collision.  I don't want to rob anyone of that.  This book is so powerful and intense, it left me shaking.  As I closed the last page, I just sat, thinking of all that I had read wondering what I would have done had I had to make such a huge choice.  Would I have made the right one? 

This book is a rollercoaster.  I suggest a comfy chair, a long afternoon, and a box of tissues when reading!!