Review: Letters to the Lost - Brigid Kemmerer

Letters to the Lost 
Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2017

Juliet and Declan were both suffering from great losses and they carried a great deal of guilt related to these losses. Both were dealing with it in their own way. Juliet was writing letters to her dead mother and withdrew from life. Declan took a more self destructive path, but neither were really healing until they began corresponding with each other.

I want to fall into him. I want to let someone else carry this weight, even if it's just for a little bit. 

I will start with the most important part for me - the feels. There were so many times when I experienced chills or had to blink away tears. Both Juliet and Declan had lost someone who was important to them. They had loved these people. They missed these people. They believed they played a role in the death of these people. That's a huge burden to bear. My heart just ached for them. For Declan, the pain was multiplied by the way he had become ostracized by his peers, his mother, and his stepfather. There were so many times that I wanted to simultaneously slap him and hug him. It wasn't all sad though, there were also many times that I smiled, sighed, and laughed. I thought Kemmerer did a great job building that balance into the story.

And yes...I can't help myself. Declan is prickly and explosive and sharp, but buried deep below all that is a boy who's caring and protective and loyal. 

I became invested in both main characters quite quickly. They were so broken and wounded, but Kemmerer slowly showed us how they were healing once The Dark and Cemetery Girl (their online alter egos) began their relationship. It didn't happen all at once, but the people around them started seeing some positive changes, and I enjoyed looking for those small steps towards them becoming whole again as well.

I should be thanking you. I followed your lead and did something unexpected. You're right. It was terrifying. Let's do it again. 

I had so much ire with respect to their parents. Both Juliet's dad and Declan's mom really dropped the ball, and allowed their children to climb into this hole of grief. I will thank Kemmerer a thousand times for all the wonderful auxiliary characters she assembled as a support system for Declan and Juliet. So, thank you for Rev and his parents for their endless love and affection. Thank you for Frank for his wisdom and understanding. Thank you for Rowan and her mom for always being there and giving Juliet a home away from home. I am even going to thank you for Mr. Gerardi and Mrs. Hillard, the two teachers who never gave up on these kids. It was quite beautiful the way all these different types of relationships were explored, and also that Kemmerer allowed these relationships to grow and change throughout the story as our MCs grew and changed.

And right there, in the middle of his own crisis, Rev knows exactly what I need to hear. 

There were also so many wonderful ideas and concepts that I adored. Juliet and Declan discussed this idea of people only seeing a "snapshot" of you and basing their opinions on this brief glimpse of you. That you are more than this part that people choose to see, and that you can do more than what they expect of you.

"We were wrong," she says. "You make your own path."

This quote is quite a powerful statement, and this was a gift Juliet gave to Declan. When he thought he was not able to rise above his mistakes, she reminded him that he can make his own path.

You were the first person to see all of me, Juliet. The first person who made me feel like I was worth more than a reputation and a record. 

Overall: A touching story of survival, redemption, and healing, filled with some really beautiful messages about making your own path and not letting one bad decision decide your future.

**I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book

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Waiting on Wednesday: Who's That Girl - Blair Thornburgh

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on Who's That Girl by Blair Thornburgh .

Who's That Girl

Blair Thornburgh

Series: N/A
Release Date: July 11,  2017

Publisher: Haper Collins Children's

Waited on by: Sam

Goodreads

Junior Nattie McCullough is totally OK with her place in life: Latin whiz. Member of the school’s gay-straight alliance. Joni Mitchell superfan. Seventeen-year-old who has never been kissed. So when last summer’s crush and her former classmate—Young Lungs lead singer Sebastian Delacroix—comes back to town with his new hit single “Natalie,” she can’t bring herself to believe it could possibly be about her…could it?

As Nattie sorts through the evidence (the lyrics, Sebastian’s elusive text messages, and their brief romantic encounter last year), the song’s popularity skyrockets, and everyone starts speculating about “Natalie’s” identity. If that wasn’t mortifying enough, Nattie runs into another problem: her confusing, flirtation-packed feelings for her good friend Zach. With her once-average life upended, Nattie is determined to figure out once and for all if her short-lived past with Sebastian was something love songs are made of—or just a one-hit wonder.

A boy band crush! The inspiration for a hit song! A friends to lovers story! This has the possibility to be super cute, and I LIVE for cute contemporaries. Early reviews are positive, and speak of quirky characters, snappy banter, friendship, and romance. All things I really like.

What are you waiting on?

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Review: At First Blush - Beth Ellyn Summer

At First Blush 
Beth Ellyn Summer
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: #ContRom2017, #DebutAuthorsChallenge2017, #NGEW2017, Alphabet Soup Challenge

Lacy lives for her YouTube channel and dreams of reaching that one million subscriber mark. She is one of three YouTubers selected for a summer internship at On Trend Magazine. Her job will be to rep the products from a sponsor selected by the magazine and to help with the image makeover for brooding pop star, Tyler. She wants her channel be the next big thing, but what price is she willing to pay?

I LOVE romances like this. When I was reading it, I kept getting that Jennifer E Smith vibe, and well, I adore all that is JES. So, definitely a good thing. The story was just so adorable, and I found myself suffering from endless smiles.

"It's sort of important to know when something's over."
"Maybe I didn't want it to end."

Lacy was a very likable MC. She was goal orientated, but very caring. She didn't want to step on others or exploit people to get what she wanted.  She had a desire to earn her accolades, and I totally respected and admired that. She also probably cared too much. Lacy was often weighed down by other people's problems or opinions, and realizing this was an important part of her journey as she defined herself during this story. I liked that she was a work in progress and grew so much during this book. She had to experience those missteps to grow and change for the better, as that is part of real life.

"No. You're the good kind of unexpected. Like when you smell that awesome sunblock smell in the deal of winter, or you eat a chocolate Easter egg in the fall."

There were quite a few characters, who contributed to this story's success for me. Tyler was complicated, but there were so many super-cute-sweet moments between these two. I think I giggled like a 13-year-old a time or two. I am just a sucker for this sort of stuff. I loved Kendall as well. She was a great mentor to Lacy, and was almost like her fairy godmother, in that she guided her, while also gifting Lacy with great opportunities. I consider both On Trend and Primetime Tonight characters as well. There was a certain energy associated with these two locals in the story, and there was usually something interesting and fun going on there. It is not surprising that the intern experiences have a certain depth and were captured so well, as Summer interned on both Fallon and Conan.

There was a lot of interesting social commentary woven in the book as well. This idea of fame and the trade-offs associated with that achievement, as well as this idea of compromising your ideals/selling your soul to attain that desired star-status. It was presented from both Lacy's and Tyler's perspectives, which were slightly different, and thus, gave me more to think about. Although there was stuff to think about, but this was by no means a heavy book. In fact, I loved the lightness of the story, as I am a big escape reader.

I am not a YouTuber, but I found all that stuff pretty interesting. I appreciated that way Summer depicted that it's a lot of work, because that is similar to blogging, and I thought she captured the way I feel when I get a comment.

The book blurb mentions The Devil Wears Prada, and I can see the comparisons, but I also feel confident comparing it to Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies. It had a similar feel, as LBDLWL was set in the fast-paced magazine world, but At First Blush was on the sweeter side, as it didn't have that cut-throat element that was in LBDLWL.

Overall: A fun, light, and totally adorable read, which put a perma-smile on my face.


**I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book

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subscribe to any YouTube channels?

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus.

This post is for sharing what I read last week, what I am currently reading, and what I plan to read.

What I Read Last Week

My audiobook selection this week, Bossypants, was for several reading challenges. I needed a non-fiction book and a book about an interesting woman. Bossypants met both requirements, as far as I was concerned, and it was both funny and though provoking. My favorite book of the week was One of Us is Lying. This murder mystery kept me completely captivated. Loved it!

• The Duke of Bannerman Prep by Katie A. Nelson - ★★★★
• Bossypants by Tina Fey - ★★★★
• The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty - ★★★★ 
• Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux - ★★★★
• Literally by Lucy Keating - ★★★1/2
• One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - ★★★★★

What I Am Currently Reading

I was lucky enough to get Flora Banks through First to Read, and it's really heartbreaking so far. Flora had a brain tumor removed when she was 10, and it left her with anterograde amnesia, which left her being unable to create any new memories. I am 100 pages in, and it's very odd being in Flora's head, because she has to refer to notes and repeats things many times, but I am interested in seeing where this is going. I am listening to Two Summers, and am enjoying Sliding Doors type story.

• The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
• Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

What I Plan to Read

It seems the publicists checked in at Edelweiss last week, because I was approved for 29 requests on Thursday. Lots to read! I was pretty excited to get approved for Avenged because I really loved the first book in this series, and early reviews have been positive.

• Fireworks by Katie Cotugno
• Avenged by Amy Tintera
• Aftermath by Clara Kensie
• Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson

What are you reading?

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Review: Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman

Norse Mythology
Neil Gaiman
Series: N/A
Genre: Mythology, Short Stories
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads 

The concept of mythology plays a strong role in our cultural narrative; whether Norse, Roman, Egyptian, or one of the myriad of other mythologies, people have been captivated by these stories for centuries. In his book, Neil Gaiman cherry-picks a few Nordic tales and weaves them together. It's pretty straightforward -- you get what the title implies -- but if you're even a little interested in the subject I highly recommend you pick it up.

The writing itself was very unembellished, in a way that felt like there was a narrator speaking to me directly, rather than an author gathering tales. You know in movies when the characters will visit an old person and the old person will start a story and it'll fade into the scene and you'll forget they're talking (like the beginning of Titanic)? It felt kinda like that. Like bedtime stories almost. Lulling, relaxing. (If I'm not making sense, I'm trying to say I liked the writing style and felt like it worked well with the tone of the book)

The stories were honestly so great too. Gaiman did a great job choosing stories. I'm sure there were sooooooo many to choose from and tons more great Norse myths that would have been fun to read but I wasn't bored reading a single one of these stories and I really loved how the characters made recurring appearances and how some of the asides made by the narrator kinda popped up as central focuses in other stories. It provided a kindof linking thread between the stories, making them not really part of a narrative but more than just a bunch of random myths thrown together from the same geographic area. Also, I loved the way the narrator kept leading up to Ragnarok and the way Gaiman wrote about it. All in all, the whole thing was really well done.

I'm beating a dead horse at this point by saying Neil Gaiman is my favorite author but I always have to mention it just in case someone doesn't know so here's my obligatory mention, and by reading this it was easy to remember why: it's easy to throw a bunch of stories that already exist together into an anthology but it's a lot more difficult to rework them into something cohesive and fluid while adding your own voice, which is what Gaiman did. (Let's not note that he did all that and I wasn't even capable of reading it for a month and a half after it came out because I'm trash RIP)

Where will you be on Ragnarok?

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