Review: The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Title: The Book of Broken Hearts
Author: Sarah Ockler
Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published May 2013

"Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking."

This was the first Ockler book that I've ever read, and it's safe to say that I was satisfied with it. It wasn't the greatest romance novel that I've ever read (When Everyone Thinks You're Gone by Amelia Faith still takes the cake), I can't really say that I disliked this book at all.

Then again, I wasn't blown away by it. I was satisfied, but not wowed. Basically, the part that gave me a bit of a bad taste in my mouth was the fact that the ending was so predictable. I mean, come on. Girl meets boy, girl isn't supposed to like boy, girl falls in love with boy anyway, boy loves girl back, yadayadayada. Stuff like that.

So it was kind of disappointing to realize that this book was just like the others. But as for the quality of the writing, I was happy with it. It was sad to read about how Jude's father is slowly deteriorating with his early Alzheimers, and my heart broke for her and her family, even though she isn't a real person. (Yes, I tend to do this a lot. Feel huge amounts of sympathy for people who are no more than words on a page. It's a huge problem. Really, it is.)

As for Emilio and the whole The-Vargas-Boys-Are-Evil deal...well, they did mention that one of his older brothers "cheated' (sort of?) on his girlfriend/prom date, who happened to be Jude's sister.

However, I know another one of Jude's sisters was engaged to another one of Emilio's older brothers, and the wedding was called off the night before the engagement party. My question is: Why?! They never specify on why Johnny (Emilio's brother) called off the wedding with Celi (Jude's sister). I had so many questions in my head throughout the whole novel: Cold feet? Cheating? Found someone else? A bad fight? Family issues? Ockler never tells me, and that just frustrated me so much.

Ugh. The nerve of some people.

(Note to Ockler: Don't take that last sentence too seriously. I get easily frustrated when writers leave crucial pieces of information out.)

My parting remark would be like I liked The Book of Broken Hearts. It's not the best, most tearful and romantic and sappy and heart wrenching novel around, but I still liked it. :)

ARC Review: No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale (Amber's Review)

Title: No One Else Can Have You

Author: Kathleen Hale

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery

Page Count: 380

Publisher: Haper Teen

Not to be published until January 2014

Summary~

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

---------------------------

Jessica took the words right out of my mouth. Oh my gah. What a joy ride this book was. It was full up suspense keeping you on the edge of your seat. 

No One Else Can Have You is Kathleen Hale's debut novel and I am positive she has two new fans. She was able to keep me second guessing myself through out the whole book. Now, I am eager for other works she may publish in the future. 

Ruth's death was gruesome and something out of a horror film. Something I imagine Stephen King to have written. (In my honest opinion) But I was shocked when I found out who murdered her. In small towns every one is a suspect and some one you may not expect could end up being an murderer. 

Kippy is strange. I think you could put it that way, but I like that. Who is normal anyway? I am not. That is for sure. (Ask Jessica) But the girl that is going to be there for you no matter what. I think Ruth took advantage of their friendship though. She reminded me a bit of Alison from Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard though her journal entries. But what bothered me most was that Kippy accepted all the horrible things Ruth would say about her. I felt like Kippy knew this all a long but never wanted it to admit it to herself. 

Another thing that I enjoyed beside the suspense was things said and done. Especially stories of Kippy and Ruth. The lake especially. I called up my best friend to read her that part and we were both hysterical for about a half hour.

All in all this book was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The characters and the struggles seemed real. I felt like I was part of the book. In the end me and Jessica were texting each other and flipping out. We didn't suspect anything! 

Expect No One Else Can Have You on shelves on January 7, 2014!

RATING: ★★★★★

(Stealing Jessica's credits here..... well I change them a little bit)

*-I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
**-Special thanks to author Kathleen Hale (see her on twitter: @HaleKathleen) for sending both Jessica and I copies of this ARC to review. You rock and we'd love to get copies of your future works to review, too!

ARC Review: No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale (Jessica's Review)

Title: No One Else Can Have You
Author: Kathleen Hale
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Paperback, 384 pages
To Be Published January 2014

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Or, to be more correct, oh my gah. This book was absolutely amazing to the point that I'm literally shaking. This is Kathleen Hale's debut novel, and I have to say...it's absolutely thrilling.

This book hasn't hit shelves yet*, so here's a quick description for any of you that want to know just what this book is about:

"Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 689 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer."

Like stated previously, this book was absolutely amazing. Other than amazing, it was also so creepy!!! The setting was enough to give me chills--it's a small town where everyone knows each other and everybody is entirely too polite and honest. It's just...weird. But I loved it. Throughout the entire story, I kept getting creepy chills and thinking to myself, Man, Hale is a pretty good author if she can scare me like this--books don't usually scare me. 

The part that definitely shocked me the most was the part where I found out who Ruth's murderer was. (Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you all.) Once I found out, I literally put down the book, picked up my phone, and started rapidly texting Amber about how it couldn't be possible and I couldn't believe it.

Like I said before, that never happens with me. Books usually don't make me have such strong reactions.

Hale is an excellent writer because she's able to create a story that's dramatic, eerie, chilling, and also a little bit scary.** It's perfect for keeping you on the edge of your seat, which I definitely was. 

Who would I recommend this book to? Anyone and everyone that loves a creepy, chilling murder mystery. In a way, I was sort of remind of Pretty Little Liars while reading this book--throughout the entire story, the author makes it seem like A (or in this case, Ruth's murderer) is one person, but when you reach the end of the novel...bam. It's nobody that you'd even think to suspect.

Ouch. Did that give too much away? I don't think so.

Anyway, be on the lookout for No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale, which will be published in January 2014!

*-I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, statements and opinions expressed in this review (excluding the book's synopsis) are entirely my own and have not been swayed in any way.

**-Special thanks to author Kathleen Hale (@HaleKathleen) for sending both Amber and I copies of this ARC to review. You rock and we'd love to get copies of your future works to review, too!

Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Paperback, 327 pages
Published December 2012
Book #1 in the Hopeless series

I just finished this book--and let me just say, this may seem like an exaggeration, but it's not...I have never been more in love with a character in a book in my entire life than I am with Dean Holder right now.

He's perfect. Just perfect. There's nothing left to even say. But for those of you who don't know anything about this book (and if that's the case, shame on you!), here's a quick catch-up:

"Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever."

This book was SO GOOD. I found myself drawn to it and absorbed by it--I wasted an entire day (well, I wouldn't say wasted) sitting and reading this book because every time I put it down, I could not get myself to turn away. The way that Holder is so sweet, caring and passionate about Sky shows what a wonderful guy he is, even when Sky is being pretty melodramatic and even when she's in a bad mood.

He's a guy like no other. He actually understands. 

Okay, enough about Holder and more about the book. There are a couple of spoiler alerts (okay, maybe a lot), so you have been warned.

Sky had been abused by her father, and then abducted by a stranger (slash her mother slash her biological aunt, who had also been abused by her father). I kind of suspected this when Karen (Sky's "mother") had such a strict no technology rule and acted pretty weird around Holder, when she'd usually been pretty relaxed when it came to Sky's past boyfriends. It raised a bit of a red flag.

But as the drama unfolded, the book totally captivated me and I loved it so, so much. Even in the end, Sky's ultimate decision of what to do to Karen once she finds out the truth (which I will be kind enough not to post on here, so I don't spoil it for anyone) is a pretty brave one. I'm not even sure that I could do something like that after I found out all of the things that I did.

I definitely can't wait to get my hands on Losing Hope, which is the second book in the series. Did I mention that it's written in Holder's point of view?! EEEP!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Paperback, 487 pages
Published February 2012
Book #1 in the Divergent series

Looks like I've finally joined the rest of society and read Divergent by Veronica Roth! (Note: I wasn't being lazy or not reading it because everyone else is or anything like that...THERE IS A SIX MONTH LONG WAITING LIST AT MY LIBRARY. I finally gave up and just bought it myself at Target.)

Here's a quick description for any of you that have been living under a rock since last February and have no clue what this book is about:

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her."

GAH. I LOVED THIS BOOK. I love Four/Tobias especially! (Another quick note: Why, in every review, do I always point out that I've fallen in love with at least one character?)

Roth's novel was totally gripping. I found myself constantly being sucked into the "one more chapter" vortex night after night, and eventually I just resorted to taking this book with me everywhere I went.

I love the whole idea around it, especially the idea around having to worry about whether to stick in your family's faction, where you know you don't truly belong, to stay with them and be happy--or to choose the path that you know is right, and leaving your family behind forever. After all, in dystopian Chicago, their mantra is "Faction before blood."

And, naturally, as with every great novel, there's always at least one character that doesn't belong anywhere. That character is Beatrice (Tris), and she's Divergent.

*Gasp* 

From what I understand, Divergent individuals are people who take the test to find out what faction they belong in, just like everyone else...although for them, there is no set answer. They can belong anywhere. They don't fit into the mold that is the city's system.

This book was totally action packed, and it kept me at the edge of my seat after every single chapter. Throughout the Choosing Day, the vigorous training, the initiation, and *spoiler alert* the war that is beginning to rise, I found myself not able to put the book down.

Props to Roth!

ARC Review: The Last Summer by Jacquelyn Eubanks

Title: The Last Summer
Author: Jacquelyn Eubanks
Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Kindle Edition, 206 Pages
Published May 2012

So, as you can probably tell from the title, this book is about baseball. Granted, that may not be a popular topic for everybody, but I actually enjoyed it! Here's a quick description of the story:

"For a small Georgia town in 1955, things aren't always what they seem. Charlotte "Charley" Mason is viewed as your average weirdo tomboy by pretty much everybody - except her best friends, eight boys who play on a summer-long baseball team. In her team, she's viewed as an equal, unlike her home and school life. If she isn't being taunted by the Pretty Posse or Biff Richardson's gang, then she has her mother pressuring her to be a perfect little lady. These past years have made her tougher and stronger, especially with her two best friends, Frankie and Arthur, by her side. And then of course there's her Grandpa, who once was a professional baseball player for the Yankees, who passed on his passion of the game to her. He gave her the beloved signature Yankees baseball cap that she always wears. So you can imagine she's ready for a summer to remember...the only thing standing in her way is the sudden, out-of-the-blue fact that she is moving to New York on August first. She realizes she has one shot at making her last summer in Valia Springs worth while."

Being a Yankee fan myself (plus residing in their home state), I could relate with all of the baseball stuff. And Frankie sounds amazing and adorable. Just saying. 

Usually authors have a hard time portraying tomboy characters because, well, it's pretty difficult. I mean, a girl acting like a guy but not too much of a guy? It's a fine line, and Eubanks pulled it off perfectly.

However, there were a couple parts of the story that threw me off a little bit. For starters, the story kept switching from past tense to current tense. In one part of the book, it will say something along the lines of *"I screamed as loud as I could and then I ran down the hill." But then a few sentences later, it will switch tense and be in the present, such as, *"I look at Grandpa, unsure of what I should do."

It's simple English that we've always been taught--do not switch tenses in a story! *Shrugs* It's an understandable mistake, though. Even in high school, I catch myself making those mistakes all of the time. But if it's a published work, it should be fixed, right?

There were also a couple of typos and grammatical errors, but that happens to everybody when you publish electronically, so there's not much to really say about that.

As for Charley and her story, I loved how it was set in 1955, and all of the historical facts surrounding the story (such as the Yankee players at the time, popular news headlines, and popular songs) were pretty accurate. That's an important part of writing a story--the historical facts need to line up. 

As for the whole *spoiler alert* Frankie and Charley kiss right before she left, I still don't know how I feel about that. It was so romantic *swoon*, but also a bit unrealistic. Charley's parents shelter her so much, but then Frankie kisses her in front of everybody, and nobody says anything? Her whole team, her parents, and even her grandparents don't say a word--Charley just kisses Frankie, hops in the car, and then they leave.

As unrealistic as it may be, it was still pretty dang cute.

I'm extremely impressed that a teen author managed to get professionally published through Miss Literati. Even though that's actually becoming quite common (through authors like Amelia Faith and a few others), it's quite a feat.

Best of luck to Eubanks in her future books! :-)**

*Not an actual excerpt from the book.

**Note: An ARC copy of this book was provided to me through the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and observations stated in this review are all my own, with no outside influence.

Review: Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Extras
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Hardcover, 432 Pages
Published May 2013
Book #4 in the Uglies Series

I'm a little bit disappointed in this book, because I found the rest of the Uglies series to be so gripping and thrilling--and this book seemed to throw it off for me. It honestly wasn't my favorite. I think that it should have just stayed a trilogy.

For everyone who doesn't know, here's what the book's about:

"It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of "American Idol." Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for."

The book overall wasn't that bad--Westerfeld is a great writer, but there were a couple of things about this book that threw me off:

1. They don't mention the book's setting until you're already 3/4 of the way through reading. In complete honesty, for a majority of the book, I thought that Aya lived in Tally's city, spoke English, etc. It sounded exactly the same. It was never mentioned (or at least, I never found it--which is a problem anyway, because details should always be clear to the reader) in the book that Aya lived in Japan and spoke Japanese!!!! Only when she met Tally and started talking to her did they mention that they had to keep switching from Japanese to English. (?????????????????????)

2. Tally's character isn't portrayed well in this book. I wasn't the only reader who apparently caught on to this, because a couple of Goodreads reviews mentioned that Westerfeld portrayed Tally has hard, bitter, and very snappy. In Uglies, Pretties, and Specials, Tally was never like that. She had her moments, but in this book she was just portrayed as...mean.

3. This book should have just stayed a trilogy. I already mentioned this earlier in the review, and I still believe it. I understand that maybe after writing the trilogy, Westerfeld wanted to give readers a glimpse into the "new world" that Tally and David fixed. It should have been done in an epilogue, not a whole new novel. A quick chapter explaining all of the new changes in the world would've been ten times better than dragging it all out for everyone.

Even though I listed a few complaints about the book, Westerfeld still has an excellent writing ability and I can say that now that I'm finished with the Uglies series (*sniffle), I'm satisfied overall with all four books.
Well, that's all for today. Check back soon for more reviews!

Review: Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

Title: Soul Thief (Book #2 in The Demon Trappers Daughter)

Author: Jana Oliver

Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Demons, Dystopian, Romance

Page Count: 339

Publisher: St. Martin's Giffin 

Summary~

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father's been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that's not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who's made himself Riley's unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective "friend" who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley's almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta's demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city's "little" problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell's attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

--------------

I am shocked. Completely and utterly shocked. The betrayal in this book. I seriously can't. But I am still team Beck.

Riley is trying to save her relationship with Simon, convince the guild that her father didn't cause the attacks, fine the geo-fiend that killed her father, and save the world. A lot for a 17 year old girl to take on. 

Jana's writing is great and her plot is different in enjoyable. Her characters are realistic (as much as they can be when they are angels, demons, necromancer, and witches) 

What frustrates me is that Beck is going to be spiteful to Riley. He needs to man up and confess that he is in love with her. He needs to admit it to himself first. And Riley needs to admit she is jealous of Beck's fling with a reporter because she feels the same way. 

But what does Riley do? She runs to Simon who ends up breaking her heart, and runs her right into the arms Ori who she willingly gives her virginity to. But Ori isn't who he says he is. 

The betrayl. Riley can't trust no one. Demon Hunters (They are different from Trappers. They kill demons instead of selling them for money) are in town and things are about to get ugly. With people accusing Riley of destroying the Holy Water line, Simone thinking she is working with Hell its self, were she is working with Heaven to stop Armageddon, all to save Simone's life.

In the end Riley is pretty much screwed and in the end she has make important decisions. But I really liked the end. It was bitter sweet. 

One more thing, I like the switching POVs it helps the reader understand everyone's feelings. Alright, I am done now :D

RATING: ★★★★★

Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Title: The Rules for Disappearing
Author: Ashley Elston
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Hardcover, 320 Pages
Published May 2013
Book #1 in The Rules For Disappearing Series

"She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival."

To be completely honest, I was NOT expecting The Rules for Disappearing to be that good. It looked interesting, but the whole Witness Protection plot seemed a bit unrealistic. (Which is saying something, since the novel I wrote relates to Witness Protection in a way.) 

But man, was I wrong.

I've always been fascinated by the whole changing-names-and-running thing, so this book captured me right away. I can't imagine what it'd be like to be Meg (well, her real name is Anna!) and be woken up in the middle of the night and taken to some strange place, having to change her name and her personality, memorize facts about her new "previous life," and be ripped away from friends and boyfriends again and again and again.

I especially love Ethan, Meg's boyfriend. He's literally the sweetest, stereotypical southern boy and he's the best. (Quick note: Did anyone else notice that the name "Ethan Landry" is also used in The Lying Game series, or was I the only one who caught on to that?)

The ending seemed a bit unrealistic, though. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you. But hey, it happens, I guess. It just seems so odd that in the last two or three chapters, the story went from having a major conflict to having no conflict at all. All of a sudden, BAM, *spoiler alert* the bad guy is dead, Meg can come out of hiding, they decide to stay in the South and she can be with Ethan and happily ever after stuff, blah blah blah.

*Shrugs* Didn't stop me from loving the book, though!

I'd love to stay, but I really have to go. Be on the lookout for more reviews coming soon!