Review of/Blog Tour: How I Fall by Anne Eliot

How I Fall by Anne Eliot

Page Count(e-book Edition): 379 pgs
Publisher: Butterfly Books, LLC
Released: June 15th, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: from 7/1/14-7/15/14
Source: An e-book copy was sent in exchange for an honest review. Thank you bunches Anne!
Synopsis: 

ELLEN LIKES CAM * CAM LIKES ELLEN *
What if the one person you can't stop thinking about...
...can't stop thinking about you?

*CAM LIKES ELLEN *
What if during one long day you failed at everything because you met this glitter-crazed new girl who practically ruins your life? Worse, she insists you and your secret crush become best friends—with her?!! Only you don’t have time to be friends with insane people, and you think your crush might need to stay the way it’s always been: Distant. Impossible. In your head. This is because you have problems and secrets a crush would never understand.

*ELLEN LIKES CAM *
But what if the three of you wind up assigned to a group photography project, and rumors are already circling about the new girl being ridiculous? You know she’s nice but alone, so you convince your crush to help protect the new girl. Working on the project suddenly makes hanging out, texting, talking—and even high school—seem completely normal when it’s anything but.

ELLEN LIKES CAM * CAM LIKES ELLEN *
What if you fall for each other just enough to kiss…and it’s perfect? You tell secrets and make the kind of promises that might be impossible to keep when you’re only sixteen. Which is why, long before it all falls apart, you already knew nothing this beautiful could have been meant to be yours for long.

But what if… 

(from Goodreads)

This book wasn't just your traditional high school love, it was so much more than that. It was the scary truth of falling in love with someone who is so different than you imagine, but somehow, it makes perfect sense. How I Fall was able to shed light on the easy and hard parts of falling in love, all while keeping it upbeat and heartwarming.

I so wanted to scream at Cam in the beginning when I learned that he has had a crush on Ellen for all these years. I know its hard to talk to your crush and all, but starting a conversation can get you places! So I was very happy with how they came about being able to talk! I found it so adorable how Cam, the jock and high school quarterback, was so down to earth and didn't fall for any of the queen bee admirer's. He had seen Ellen's beauty in her strength, from living with CP for all her life. Despite Ellen's Cerebal Palsy, she really seemed to be a normal teenage girl to me!! I loved how she never let her condition stop her from pursuing her dreams and living her life as much as she could. I admire her!

I'm sorry that this is a spoiler but I WANTED TO SCREAM WITH PURE JOY EXCITEMENT HAPPINESS ELATION ETC when they kissed!!!!!!! It was the most perfect surreal moment. I even made them a hashtag : #camllen

Although their relationship was not picture perfect, Anne made it work so, so well. Their love for one another is true and real and I was gripping my kindle for dear life while reading. Their twisted lives made the plot so very action packed. The plot twist in the end almost killed me.  You'll know what I mean when you read this book, as I suggest you to go do NOW! 

So I really need the 2nd book right now, as in this second right now. Waiting for it to magically appear in my hands. *prays to the book gods for it*

Author Interview:

Me : When did you first really begin to love writing?

Anne: I loved writing for the first time when I joined Romance Writer’s of America and met the first of my ‘future best friends’! Writing, for the most part fills me with doubt and I never quite think it’s good enough. But going to writing classes, and meeting other writers? Now that is love.

Me: Out of all of your books so far, favorite character and why?

 Anne: Oh Haley, that’s a really tough question. I love them all because I spend so much time with them, but the names that jumped into my head was ‘best friend, Jenna’ because she did crack me up a lot. But…oh, then there’s Hunter and Vere and Jess and Gray, and Cam and Ellen, and…of course I have a crush on Patrick.

Me: How do you come up with the topics you write about?

Anne: The topics usually come up from my own life. Almost was about rape-related PTSD. That topic came about because when I was in high school a dear friend was raped at a party by an acquaintance of ours. Hunter Kennedy’s depression came about because I have 2 dear friends who were depressed as teens, and who both got better. One on her own, the other still needs medication to stay stabilized, and they are both such amazing moms and women now, I wanted to explore that time in life when you learn to love yourself and move on, despite what weighs you down. The topic of How I Fall, came about by an inspiring girl named Allison Winn who actually doesn’t have CP, but who has symptoms very similar to left sided CP. I wanted this girl to have a book about a girl who falls down some and who is tippy on one side of her body, but who still gets to have a normal love story. I settled on CP when looking for something to match her symptoms. The second book in this series, How I Fly, is about the same characters and we just switched the cover to green to salute CP Awareness because I’ve met such amazing teens like a girl called Chloe and and a young woman called Charisse who've really inspired me to work on spreading information about Cerebral Palsy awareness. 

Me: Favorite part about writing and least favorite part?

Anne: My favorite part about writing is when fans tell me they liked the story, and the least favorite part is when I can’t quiet the voices in my head that make me doubt myself as I write.

About the Author:

Anne Eliot writes sweet, first-love stories. She was raised in the mountains of Colorado, but says she really learned about life, love and friendships from summers spent with her large, Italian immigrant family in Ontario, Canada.

Anne is grateful to have had schools with inspiring teachers and librarians who directed her to worlds she would not have found on her own. To this day, she adores school visits, teaching writing to teens, and is dedicated to making sure kids in need have access to books that will fuel their hopes and dreams.

While growing up, Anne hid her own anxieties by hiding and reading book after book. She developed an addiction to first love, first kisses and her favorite: the happy-ever-after story. This is what she writes today. Now she's a mom of two and happily married to her own first love. Anne works hard to juggle being a wife and parent while writing, but fails at cooking because she is still trying to read book, after book of love stories on the side.

Anne Eliot’s first book, Almost, became a top 100 best selling Kindle book, and was a Readers Choice, Top 12 of 2012 book for Amazon.com at #11, and will be translated and released in Germany and Turkey fall 2013. Her second book, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy, is a also a Kindle, top 100 best selling book in Teen Romance for 2013. She's hard at work on her third novel, another sweet teen romance releasing fall/winter, 2013. She loves to hear from readers. Please look for her on Facebook or tweet her @yaromance.

Author Links: 

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1r6nTF4

Website: http://www.anneeliot.com/

Facebook Fanpage: http://on.fb.me/1r6nItz

Twitter: @yaromance

Tumblr: http://anneeliot.tumblr.com/

Inspiration for the story:

The character of Ellen Foster is fictional, but her Cerebral Palsy symptoms and hemiparesis/balance issues loosely match what an amazing teen (and I girl I’m proud to call my friend) named Allison Winn, faces every single day. Her condition was not brought on by CP, but was brought about due to complications Allison suffered after the removal of a childhood brain tumor which resulted in side effects that will be with her for the rest of her life.

Despite all that sadness, with the help of her mom, Dianna, dad Brian, the patience of her sister, Emily, and the inspiration from

a tiny rescued dog named Coco, Allison was inspired to help other kids by baking dog biscuits (thousands of them) so she could raise money to help other kids like her. These biscuits were hand sold by Allison for months (and now years) so other sick kids and sad families could afford to adopt a fully trained dog from a very special program into their lives.

At age nine, Allison’s goal was to raise enough money so one special trained dog could be placed with a kid who had life threatening issues. She met that goal, and that same year adopted out 10 dogs with the sales of her dog treats! Now she’s fourteen and her project has a name: The Stinkbug Project. Stinkbug has now adopted out 40+ dogs to kids who live around the Rocky Mountain Region all because Allison never gives up baking. Now so many people help to raise awareness while others donate baking and packaging supplies and volunteer to help Allison bake and sell the treats.

This girl, who soon will be an amazing woman, is now cancer free but she still works tirelessly at baking and selling biscuits for what has become a thriving community charity effort. The trained dogs are all rescued dogs who come from the very special, Colorado based, K-9 correctional dog training program. Adoptions and applications for a dog are now handled via the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation. More information about The Stinkbug Project, Allison, and RMHF can be found at:

http://www.rmchildren.org/programs/stink-bug-project/

Every year, a donation will be sent by me to support this amazing project, and at all book signings I will be accepting donations on behalf of this wonderful project and donating them to Allison’s efforts as well.

So I think that's a wrap! If you made it this far in this super long post, then major kudos for you!! Thank you to Anne Eliot and Mandy over at I Read Indie for letting me participate in this awesome blog tour!

♦Haley♦

Review of: The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 425 pgs
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: September 6th, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Read: from 5/13/13 to 6/26/13
Source: Books-A-Million
Synopsis: 

Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

(from Goodreads)

The Beginning of After was truly it's title. After a horrible thing happens and it affects your family or friends, you have to start over again. I know, I've been there my share of times. This book perfectly navigated one girls' journey after her mother, father and brother were killed in a car accident.

One of the most important things this book taught me was how to be sad, how to grieve, which I think everyone needs to know how to do. If you don't grieve, you will never be able to get past something that has happened. But also, after grieving, you have to begin to grow from it. Laurel taught me that it is perfectly okay to feel bad for yourself when something awful happens. But she also taught me the importance of getting back up on your feet and persevering through life once again. Life is full of ups and downs, no matter how much we wish the downside's of life ceased to exist

I think the story line was brilliant. Bad boy neighbors-dad, Mr. Kaufman,  is responsible for the deaths of her family. He is comatose, but the only survivor of that night. I sympathized with Laurel as she began to come to terms with what has happened. She didn't know who to blame, herself for not saving the day, or Mr. Kaufman. David, his son, is also dealing with this car accident as his father is in critical condition. It was nice to see that Laurel didn't automatically shun him, whilst she didn't exactly invite him over for dinner as well. It took time for their relationship to grow, and I appreciated that! Not very fond of insta-loves!

On a happier note, I adore this cover! The actor perfectly resembles what I would have thought Laurel would have looked like. Plus, just the colors and design are gorgeous!

If you're looking for a deeper, emotional contemporary read focused on moving forward in life, this book is for you!

♦Haley♦

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy


Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 352 pgs
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: July 16th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Synopsis: 

Danielle Snyder's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and, when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien, outsiders use the accident to further a politically charged immigration debate. 

Wanting only to mourn Humphrey, the sweet kid she had a surprisingly strong friendship with, Danielle tries to avoid the world around her. Through a new relationship with Justin, a boy she meets at the park, she begins to work through her grief, but as details of the accident emerge, much is not as it seems. It's time for Danielle to face reality, but when the truth brings so much pain, can she find a way to do right by Humphrey's memory and forgive herself for his death?

 Why I want to read this:

• The cover has a dark meaning but is enticing
• The synopsis grabbed me
• The central theme seems to be forgive and forget, which is what I really need to work on.

♦Haley♦

Review of: Burn for Burn(Burn for Burn, #1) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn(Burn for Burn, #1) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Page Count(ARC Edition): 354 pgs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Released: September 18th, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 4/5 stars 
Read: from January 17th-25th, 2013
Source: Won in The Story Siren's Giveaway

Synopsis:

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...

THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

(from Goodreads)

I was really excited when I learned that I had won Burn for Burn in a giveaway in September 2012. I have the September 2012 ARC version, which is super cool! Anyways, onto the review.

For me, Burn for Burn resembled much more than a revenge, getting-back-at-you kind of book. It resembled, in one sense, bullying. For example, Mary was bullied by Reeve for a good portion of her life, and that stood out to me personally. I know what it feels like to be bullied. I know the pain, sadness and humiliation that is felt.With that aspect to the story, I was really able to connect with Mary and what she dealt with way back when.

I loved the setting of this book. Jar Island sounded like this cute, quirky place that would be neat to live in. I especially loved Lillia's house, because of how gallant it seemed. Even though Lillia was most definitely rich, she wasn't stuck up at all. She knew what she had and appreciated it.

Kat was my favorite character, because she was the total opposite of Mary and Lillia. She was the stereotypical bad girl, but that image is only driven by rumors of her ex-bestfriend, Rennie. Kat was daring and dominant, but has a soft side reserved for special people, I think. Mary, for me, was kinda a dull character, but I still adored her and understood her like I have mentioned above. 

I was sort of disappointed when the girl's revenge wasn't as big as I expected it to be. Sure, as a group they had some pretty bad *** revenge on Alex, Reeve and Rennie. But individually, it didn't really impress me. Wasn't the whole part of the story based around revenge? I didn't feel much, to be honest. Except for the end though, that actually scared me. I knew Reeve bullied Mary, but I'm not sure he deserved what he got.

All in all, Burn for Burn didn't let me down, but I was hoping for bigger revenge then what was shown. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series, Fire with Fire. 

P.S:(I know this is really sucky, but I'm very behind on reviews, so I wanted to get something out for ya'll :D)

♦Haley♦

Showcase Sunday, #2: Post Holiday Edition!

Showcase Sunday is a wonderful meme hosted by the lovely Vicki @ Books, Biscuits and Tea. If you would like to join, please click HERE.

I hope you are all having a great New Year! I most certainly did, but on Tuesday I go back to school. :( I got so many books over the holiday's, I feel spoiled! Plus, I got bunches of gift cards, and have already spent about half. ^_^. So this is a mix of books I bought, got as gifts and some library books I just checked out yesterday(: Enjoy!

Checked out from library

Glimmerglass (FaerieWalker, #1) by Jenna Black

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

The Silenced by James Devita

Gifts to me

North of Beautiful by Justin Chen Headley 

Crossed(Matched, #2) by Ally Condie

Entwined by Heather Dixon

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Belle of the Brawl(Alphas, #3) by Lisi Harrison

Bought

Eve(Eve, #1) by Anna Carey

What's left of Me(The Hybrid Chronicles, #1) by Kat Zhang

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

So as you can see, I am kinda craving Dystopian books right now. I am so excited to start reading all these! What is your Showcase Sunday? Link me up!

♦Haley♦

Review of: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot+Giveaway

Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

Page Count(eBook edition):422 pages
Publisher: Butterfly Books, LLC
Released: October 17, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/Romance
My Rating: 4 stars
Read: from October 19 to December 23, 2012
Source: Anne Eliot herself! Thank you so much! ♥

Synopsis:  

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...

And that’s when things get out of control...

(from Goodreads)

When I first started this book, I had no clue that I would deeply adore it. Unmaking Hunter Kennedy was a very cute, laughable love story that I'm sure you too, would fall in love with it.

Hunter Kennedy is basically this big pop star in this band called GuardeRobe. He is shipped off to Colorado to live with his Aunt Nan, and The Roth family. Hunter is this ultra hot, tall, blazing blue eyed guy,who, frankly, I fell in love with. You could think that he was this perfect pop star with no problems whatsoever  but that isn't true. He actually attempted suicide and has scars on his wrist from self harm. I was surprised that Anne added that bit, but very happy with how she handled this delicate subject.

So, we follow Hunter through his new home and The Roth family. Vere and Charlie Roth are siblings that now have to welcome Hunter into their life. But, there is a catch. They need to disguise him into this geeky persona so now one will recognize him at their high school, giving him his new name; Dustin Mchugh. I really enjoyed watching Vere and "Dustin's" relationship grow as they camouflaged him in a weekend. I experienced how Vere had to deal with Dustin's "assets", like his hair, eyes or perfect bone structure. Have I mentioned that I adore him?

At first, I was kinda ehhh about Vere, but she grew on me and I begun to relate to her in all of these situations she was put in. Like, every time Curtis, her crush, came around she blushed like crazy and her heart went wild. I was seriously imagining me in those moments! Once I realized how much we had in common, I couldn't get enough of her; she was so cute, like a teddy bear with and attitude! Also, I found myself laughing so hard at Vere's humor!

There is no doubt, a serious attraction to one another as the story progresses. I was up on my couch rooting for them the whole way. How can one not with these collection of quotes?!:

He laughed low and ran a finger along the top of her mouth. His touch sent shivers of sparkles down the back of her neck. “You have heart shaped lips in a heart shaped face. Has anyone ever told you? This one—this top lip alone—could drive a guy out of his mind?”

A strand of her golden-brown hair caught in the breeze and settled itself across her chest before it whipped up and caught against her lips. Lips that have never been kissed. Remember that, dude.

"Thought you were too chicken to try this," she added. Her voice had came out all raspy-sexy. Her eyes were heavy with sleep. A length of hair slid over her shoulder, curling around her tanned hips! Tangling into the little red bikini bows!

Ugh! That last one almost killed my poor heart!

On a more serious note, I really appreciated how Anne added that aspect of suicide into the story. While it wasn't real, it most certainly portrayed what some teens go through on a daily basis. Self harm and suicide is on the rise, which scares me a lot. If you or a loved one are self harming and/or thinking about committing suicide, please get help. You are worth so much in this world. Please look in the back of this book, as suicide hotline numbers are provided. Please, you are not alone in this battle. ♥

All in all, I really enjoyed Unmaking Hunter Kennedy and I recommend this to anyone who loves contemporary romance with lots of humor and cuteness(:

Now... GIVEAWAY time!!
Thank you, Anne Eliot, for giving me this opportunity(:

I have one copy of Unmaking Hunter Kennedy up for grabs

Rules:

• To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below
• I ask that all entrants be 13 years or older.
• This giveaway is U.S only, due to postal prices.
• When the winner is chosen, it will be announced here and the winner will be emailed by me. Please check your email, because I am only giving the winner 48 hours to respond. Another winner will be selected if this occur's.
• Please enter your email address in the form below, and not in the comments please!(:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

♦Haley♦

Review of: Belles(Belles, #1) by Jen Calonita

Belles(Belles, #1) by Jen Calonita

Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 356
 Publisher: Poppy
 Released: April 10th, 2012  
 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
 My Rating: 4 stars
 Read: December 02 to 16, 2012
 Source: Library


Synopsis: 

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

(from Goodreads)

As I'm sure other's would agree, this book is addicting. There was not one point where I said to myself " I'll just stop there for today" There was no good part to stop at. This story was very continuous  and it almost lost it's affect if I ever set it down for too long. Which is why I didn't!

 I love the idea of this story. To me, this was a dialed down version of Mean Girls in a book! It was verbatim the same, with a new girl, and basically a group of mean girls. Who doesn't love this plot?!

I very much enjoyed the character set. Izzie was by far my favorite because of how strong she was, whether it looked like it or not. She had so much backbone and spirit which I loved. Hayden came next because of how helpful he was to Izzie and because he was genuinely sweet. Mira and the others to come are in no particular order, just the way they pop up in my head. At first, I didn't like Mira because she was so controlled by Savannah, and didn't try to accept Izzie into the family! Opposite of Izzie, she had no backbone in the first half of the book, but then towards the end, she really rose and stood up for herself. I cheered her on quietly in my head(: Now, onto the evil queen, Savannah. I did not like her from the beginning and didn't feel sorry for her in the end. She truly irritated the crap out of me, and I probably hated her more than I should have had, because I was imagining her to be someone else.. Anyways, I really thought she was a rich, spoiled, ungrateful brat. I think that I was supposed to hate her, because she was the one who made everyone take Izzie's side. So, Jen, I thank you for that!. 

Onto the guys and family members(: Brayden! Ooh Brayden was such a cute character, I loved him♥. I wasn't expecting that little twist  at Emerald Prep with him and Izzie, but it really set the stage for what was to come. If Brayden was real, I'd take him in a heart beat. No offense Izzie! ;). Taylor was kinda iffy for me. In the beginning, I thought he had some clingy problems with Mira and brushed them off. But towards the end, he really wanted Mira to be everywhere with him, every practice, game, even every minute. That was the point where I was totally creeped out, and vowed to never become a trophy wife, ever. Kellen was really interesting. I was intrigued by his aura around him, but was disapointed when Jen didn't add more to his story with Mira. I hope in the next book, Jen will expand a lot more on their relationship. Mira's family was fairly good, but had some secrets which were revealed in the end. I was shocked when I found them out.

Belles was a wonderful, but shocking book. The only critique I have is that there needs to be more expansion among characters in the next book. I can't wait to get my hands on Winter White! I recommend this to fans of contemporary with a bit of a twist.

♦Haley♦

*on a side note: I have now added another name to my favorite baby girl names: Mirabelle! It's just so perfect and princessy; I love it! The other one I love is Tabitha(:

Currently Reading Updates(:

Since I feel like I've abandoned you guys, I'm going to do a a little post about my thoughts on the books I'm reading, just to keep you guys up to speed. Ready? OK lets go!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

1. Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot
                                 
Page Count(e-book Edition): 422
Genre:  Young Adult Romance
Source: Anne Elliot herself! Thank you so much Anne! :')
My progress: 87% done

Synopsis:

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.
Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.
When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...
And that's when things get out of control...

(from Goodreads)

My thoughts so far:
I really, really like this book. Anne Elliot does a great job at balancing humor with  romance. A very cute, quick read. Keep your eyes out for my review coming to a computer near you soon! Haha(:

2. Belle's(Belle's #1) by Jen Calonita


Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 356

Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Library
My progress: pg. 244

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

(from Goodreads)

My thoughts so far:
I like this one a lot too! There are some things that bother me a bit with Mira, like how she has no backbone against Savannah, but maybe by the end, she will stand up for herself and Izzie! I'm hoping so!

And the third one I just started a few days ago and literally have not read a word of it, so I will just give you guys the synopsis, book cover and title(:

3.  Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski (A Harper Teen Impulse Imprint)


Page Count(e-book edition): 36
Genre: Young Adult Novellas
Source: Amazon Kindle Store


Synopsis:

From the critically acclaimed author of Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) and the Magic in Manhattan series comes a fun short story about taking the plunge on the high seas, where not everything is what it seems.

Kristin is ready to take the next step. . . . The only problem is she hasn't found the right guy to take it with her. That's why she agreed to go on the ominously named Cruise to Nowhere with her best friend, Liz. There are plenty of cute guys on the ship to choose from if only Kristin can work up the nerve—and stop worrying about the reports in the tabloids that passengers on cruises have been mysteriously disappearing and that someone suspects it has to do with . . . vampires.

(from Goodreads)
♦Haley♦

Review of: The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

*Sorry if this is really crappy, I haven't done a review in forever:(*

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Page Count(Paperback Edition): 360
Publisher: Razorbill
Released: (this edition) July 5th, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: September 17th-November 21st 
Source: Books-A-Million


Synopsis: 

A dying teen learns to live in this heart-wrenching debut, perfect for fans of If I Stay

Campbell Cooper has never been in love. And if the doctors are right, she'll never have the chance. So when she's told she needs a miracle, her family moves 1,500 miles north to Promise, Maine--a place where amazing, unexplainable events are said to occur--like it or not. And when a mysterious envelope arrives, containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies, she finally learns to believe--in love, in herself, and maybe even in miracles, as improbable as they may seem

I could have finished this book so much quicker if school work/life wasn't in the way! Geez! But back to the book(: This was so magical. I was seriously falling in love with living in the paradise of Promise, Maine. I even googled it to see if Promise, Maine exists! Sadly, it doesn't.

When I first picked up this book, I had a really good feeling about it. I guess it's part of its whole magical miracles it's got going on(: The romance, illness, suspense and magical-ness of it made my contemporary heart swoon!

I thought the plot developed great on it's own. Wendy didn't try and rush into the story , like many other authors do. She let it sit for a while in the beginning, giving you a feel of what was happening/going to happen, and it gradually started to kick up to some of my most favorite parts. Ex: When Cam meets Asher and when they go to Disney World together(dawwh). Wendy somehow managed to have this sense of paradise in this small town of Maine while holding onto " Cam is a very sick cancer patient at the end of her run". I began to love everything about Promise, like the beach, Cam's new little house, ASHER!<3, little shops and festivals and the people in general! It just sounds like a place I would love to live in. I,myself, started believing in this magic of Promise. There was some parts towards the end where was like "wow I totally forgot that Cam has cancer" I think Cam did too sometimes. The ending was so bittersweet and beautiful, yet it seemed like it fit perfectly. I still felt sad because that was opposite of what I expected/wanted to happen. But, I mean what to expect? Miracles can only do so much :'(.

The characters were phenomenal  I loved everyone. Cam, Asher, Perry, Cam's Mom, Izanagi, Nana, Elaine and so many more! Even the animal characters were perfection. They all had their special, unique quirks that added to the story and made it that much better. I just loved this book so much, all these feelings I can't even explain.

So there you go! I recommend this book to everyone and anyone. Bye, for now, before I start rambling!

♦Haley♦

Top Ten Tuesday # 4 = Top Ten Fave. Contemp. YA Authors

HI!!! Oh my gosh, I've missed blogging so much! All of this homework is really unfair. It's truly painful, having to stop reading. I hate this so much! But, today I have some free time(yayyyy!) so I'm going to do a Top Ten Tuesday Post (: Enjoy!

Today's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and Bookish, is about my top ten authors in any category. Naturally, I chose Contemporary. So here we go!

1. Sarah Dessen. Why? Oh well isn't it obvious? Her books make me want to melt inside because of the beautiful, lovey dovey writing(: Plus, she connects places in books together and makes you go "oh how clever!".
2. Kieran Scott. Again, with the writing style, it's so girly!
3. Deb Caletti. She somehow manages to write about love, but  brings real life problems, like disorders, into the situations, which is really neat.
4. Susane Colasanti
5. Siobhan Vivian
6. Justin Chen

And thats really all I can think of! Catch ya later!(:

♦Haley♦

Review of: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Why I have been absent:

This may sound like an excuse, but the real reason why I am having trouble posting, is because of school. Almost every class gives me homework every night, and this all totals up to about 6 hours of homework a night. I am hoping to at least put out one post a week, whether it be a review or a meme. I hope you all understand the pressures of high school, and forgive me for not being on! </3

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Page Count(Paper Back Edition): 288
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Released: February 27th, 2007
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: September 3rd-15th
Source: Books-A-Million

Synopsis: 

I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" -- no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realize is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't.
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.

His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.

Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.

Master storyteller Deb Caletti has once again created characters so real, you will be breathless with anticipation as their riveting story unfolds.

This book has been on my to-read list for a little while now. I am so overly happy that I randomly decided to read this! The Nature of Jade was an emotional ride for me, but so worth it because of the great moral behind the story. (:

I was really intrigued when I first read the synopsis. Jade has an anxiety disorder which she has lived with all her life, which made this book stand out a little more than others. Throughout the book, you travel with her and her struggle with anxiety. Jade spends her time as a senior in a repetitive routine; school, watching elephants via webcam and homework. Then she spots a boy, Sebastian. Jade continues to watch him until..She decides to change up her routine, and goes to volunteer at her local zoo, and help with the elephants. Jade wants to change her fate, and finally meet Sebastian. She does, and her whole world is changed forever.

What really amazed me was Jade's ability to calm herself down when she got really stressed out. She reminded herself that physically her body was fine, even though her mind made her think otherwise. Jade would breathe in and out, and focus on smaller things to stay calm. At the end, Sebastian has to help her regain her calmness when she really is spun out of control. That was a really emotional part of the story that helped me understand what it's like to live with a disorder like that.

I really did like the character set in this book. I couldn't get enough of Jade and Sebastian and little Bo. Oliver was really cute, and appealed to me more than anyone else because he loved to read! Jenna, Hannah, Kayla, Michael and Akello were side characters that I didnt really care for that much. They didn't help nor hurt the story, but I felt they weren't all necessary, except for a few crucial parts. Jade's Mom and Dad were a really good add to the story, because along the way, they start to play a big part in Jade's life(I can't really explain it very well). Abe, her counselor, gave me more depth into dealing with an Anxiety Disorder. It was all sort of a learning experience for me when he asked Jade questions, and I really felt like I was there in 1st person. Damian and Delores were the two major people at the zoo that Jade communicated formed a bond with. Damian was like the head boss of the elephant part of the zoo, and trained Jade on how to interact with them, feed them, do enrichment tasks, etc. I found that really fascinating, Jade being able to be in person daily with elephants. Delores was the ticket booth person, but towards the end she bonded with a special elephant who was in need of it.

Every new chapter, there was an excerpt from  the book The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior by Dr. Jerome R. Clade. Each related specifically with what was happening in the story at that time. The facts were so interesting, that I put that book on my to-read list!

Overall, The Nature of Jade was a very touching, emotional read(to me), and I highly recommend this to anyone. Seriously, pick this book up ASAP! ♥

♦Haley♦

Review of : Sequins, Secrets and Silver Lining's (Threads, #1) by Sophia Bennett

Sequins, Secrets and Silver Lining's by Sophia Bennett



Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 304 pgs. 
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Released: January 1st, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Cultural Fashion(?)
Series: Threads #1
My Rating: 5/5
Date Started: July 23, 2012
Date Finished: July 27nd,  2012
Source: Library

Synopsis:

When they meet a Ugandan refugee girl who's an amazing designer, three trendy London teens combine their talents to create some kind of wonderful. A hip, cute, multiculti fashion fairy tale!

Nonie's a freak for fashion. Eco-conscious Edie blogs to save the world--and get into Harvard. Starter-starlet Jenny just landed a small part in a big Hollywood blockbuster. But when these trendy London besties meet a Ugandan refugee girl named Crow, sketching a dress at the V&A Museum, their worldview gets an extreme makeover. As they learn about the serious situation in Crow's homeland, they decide to pool their talents to call attention to the crisis of the Night Walking children. A catwalk show featuring Crow's designs--quelle chic way to raise awareness! Now...how to "make it work"?!

From Goodreads

This book simply AMAZED ME. It made me laugh, feel sad, feel compassionate, etc. I just love it when a book does that! That's what makes me gush about it, as I'm just about to do!

The characters were very cute! All of them; Nonie, Edie, Jenny and Crow, Especially crow, because of how she was capable of making such delicate dresses and clothes with her own hands *sighs* (I can sew but that's about it). Let's carry on in deeper detail shall we? ;)

Nonie: Pro's: The narrator. She is kind of her own private fashion designer/stylist with cute and quirky clothes! The way she explained things throughout the book was just adorable!
Cons: None!
Edie: Pro's: Best friends with Nonie, super smart, always aiming high in education. She has her own blog about The Invisible Children.(Super surprised when I saw Sophia added that bit! Made me a lot more compassionate for Crow!)
Cons: A bit annoying,bossy and has no filter when she says something. A.K.A: she doesn't care if she hurts somebody's feelings when she says something. 
Jenny: Pro's: Up and coming actress, starred in a movie with a hot guy, her dad is a millionaire.
Cons: Whiny, doesn't know how to solve her own problems without complaining about them.
Crow: Pro's: Shy(like me), SUPER DUPER SPECIAL AMAZING FASHION DESIGNER.
Cons: It didn't seem like she appreciated what she was given, but towards the end I realized she did, just didn't like to show it.

I loved every single one of the characters in this book so if it seems like I'm harping on them, I'm not! Just feel like people have the right to know the good and the bad (: Also, I only listed the main 4 characters because I didn't get that much of a feel for the others.

Plot time. I didn't know what to expect with this story, and I'm glad! I like to be surprised sometimes, and this was a good one! The setting was very unique, as I have only read about one other England based YA book. The beginning started to grow on me by the 30th page. This is so hard! I don't want to spoil anything, so I guess I should only say that Nonie really grew as a character as she helped with Crows hometown along with Crows show. The ending was special and unexpected, and almost made me tear up ;'(

Great book! Job well done Sophia Bennett. Pat on the back for you! You will definitely be hearing about me reading the next book in the series!

I'm Back!/ Stacking The Shelves #1

Hi everyone! I'm officially back now. Sorry for being gone for so long, but I have plenty in store for you! I have a book for review and a bundle 2 book giveaway! YES, my first giveaway on here! So be tuned in for news and such (: I'm also turning this into my first Stacking The Shelves! So here we go!

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews

I have some books that I have gotten from Books-A-Million, but had kinda forgotten to make a Stacking The Shelves, so here ya go!

                                     

The Daughters Break The Rules(Daughters, #2) by Joanna Philbin

I'm really looking forward to reading this one, because the first one in the series was absolutely amazing, so yeah! (:

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

When I read the synopsis for this, I was so intrigued. This is gonna be a first for me, reading about a girl with an anxiety disorder. Probably going to be emotional too.

Surrender(Possesion, #2) by Elena Johnson

OMG! If any of you read the first in this series, you know what I'm feeling. I can't wait to get some more of Zenn, Vi, Jag and the new character, Raine.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

I have heard many, many great things about this book, so of course I had to get my hands on it! Plus, who can even resist the cover? So delectable! (:

The Selection(The Selection, #1)

I don't know what I love more, the cover, title or synopsis! They all of mind grabbers, and this book just pops out at me like READ ME NOW! Just, omg i can't even explain my feelings for this book. Like with the dresses, I just can't contain my emotions lol.

Hope you enjoyed.

Haley