Going Too Far - Jennifer Echols

Summary:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....
-amazon

Review: Amazing story, I really loved this one. Meg is such a careless, reckless person and John is her opposite. I loved the turns their relationship took and enjoyed the danger of those railroad tracks. If you're a sap like me this will be just your style and if you like a little danger and recklessness to your romance books, then Meg fits the bill. Closing comment: If you haven't read it yet, get it now.

Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers

Summary: Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

Review: This book was amazing. I loved Parker's attitude in the book from the beginning to the end. She's a cheerleader turned rebel, perfectionist turned careless troublemaker. She used to just want to be the best at everything and now she just wants to disappear entirely. She does so many things that you don't understand until later, but it's fun reading about them without knowing why. She stresses out over wanting to be alone and pushes away the guy she likes. Her secret is something that will be in the back of your mind until you finish the book. A great read by Summers. Loved it.

Lovely Blog Award

I have been nominated by the lovely and wonderful Kd at Kd's Library and the lovely Lilibeth at ChicaReader.

This award is given to new blogs and blogging friends.
The rules to follow are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 or 5 in my case other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

My Nominations......(drum roll)

1. ChicaReader
2. Silvia_pi's YA Books
3. Good Girls Read Books
4. Book Reviews By Jess
5. Reading Rocks
6. A Bit Bookish
7. Books Obsession

Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Summary: When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.
- from amazon


Review: I LOVED this book, so jealous of Kd for already having called dibs on Alex. Most people probably wouldn't notice this about this book, but I literally cried when Brittany started talking about her sister. And I don't mean a teardrop, embarassing as it is, I was balling. Let me explain though, my little brother, whom I love very much, is also physically disabled and doesn't always get treated the way he should. When Brittany talks about her worries and her love for her sister, it just kind of let me know that I'm not alone. Even if it's just a fictional character that goes through the same things. On a more chipper note, Paco, the best friend of Alex was a great character and so was Isa. Alex well, there aren't words to describe Alex, but I'l give it a try. Amazing, hot, sarcastic, charismatic, charming, smartass, guarded, infectious, intriguing, outgoing, egotistical, compassionate, arrogant, witty, talented, .......I could go on, but let's just leave it at that for now.
If you haven't read this book, I suggest you go get it now. I borrowed it from a friend and I'm going to buy it anyways, just so I can have my own copy to read whenever I want to.

When It Happens - Susane Colasanti

Summary: Sara is searching for something real. It's the start of senior year, and the brainy and beautiful teen is determined that this will be the year she finds "it" -- that elusive little thing called love. She's been crushing all summer on Dave, who asked for her phone number at the end of junior year. She's been waiting for his call for months, stressing about her search not for just any boyfriend but the one who truly gets her, understands that she must make it into New York University, grasps the whacked-out relationship she has with her mom. She's got all her hopes wrapped up in Dave, not knowing that Tobey -- the slacker guy from art class who seems to care only about his band -- has spent countless hours crafting a plan to win her over.

- from amazon

Review: I borrowed this book from my friend Kate and it was so cute, it was cuter than a rosy-cheeked baby. During it Sara just kills me with this guy Dave (you'll figure out why), but it just made me want to read it more. I really like Sara's best friends and how they treat each other. It reminded me of my own friends and her experiences with hanging out with Dave's friends, I can totally relate to. Real friends are the best no matter how you cut it, and who really gives a F*** about those "popular" people who think they're all that. Yeah, they are all that.....in their heads. By the end, I'm sure everyone who reads this is rooting for Tobey, I know I was.

P.S. Written in alternating points of view, love that aspect.

My First Award

I got this from the amazing and sweet Renee at The Book Girl. Thanx Renee, I'm very excited.

Here are The Rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award.

5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

My nominations

1. Hope's Bookshelf
2. Kd's Library
3. That One Girl Emily
4. The Ravenous Reader
5. ChicaReader
6. Book Reviews By Jess
7. Silvia_pi's YA books
8. Book Junkie
9. The Page Flipper
10. The Compulsive Reader

This book blogging just gets more and more fun, I love it. Thanx again to Renee, and remember to check out her blog, too everyone.

You're So Undead To Me - Stacey Jay

Summary: Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you're trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it's kinda hard to score a date. Let's just say Megan's love life could use some major resuscitation.Megan's convinced her life can't get any worse - until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it's up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life - and more importantly, the homecoming dance - depends on it.

- from back of book

Review: This is the first zombie book that I have ever read, by suggestion of Hope. I was skeptical, to say the least, when I realized what it was about, but I decided that Hope gave it to me and she knows what's good and what's not. I will never ever doubt her again. Everytime she suggests a book to me it turns out amazing. This was no different. I liked Megan's character, because she was just like anybody other high school girl. Concerned with her love life or lack of one, it was an interesting that the opposing force to her ever getting a date with this guy was the zombie settling. The ending twist does not disappoint either. It's exactly the kind of ending I want in a book, but the way it gets there. Too crazy for words to describe.

Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen

Summary: Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Though their friendship may be tested by the strain, like a true friendship, it will endure.
-from amazon


Review: I enjoyed reading this book. It's very realistic, this is my first sarah dessen book, and she is a gifted writer. The way she portrays things makes it seem like it could have happened in your own life. All of her characters are very relatable and it took me a little whilde to get into this book at first. It's not the type of book where you just keep flipping through to figure out what's next. It's more sentimental and holds hidden messages that you'll remember long after you've read it. The thing about it is that I think everyone can kind of find their own little message in this book. All in all, a very good book.

Two Way Street - Lauren Barnholdt

Summary: There are two sides to every breakup. This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.
Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.
It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.
But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.
Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

- from Amazon

Review: So let's go through everything that I love about this book. It's told in alternating points of view, which I know not everyone likes, but I love it. Otherwise I'm always wondering what the other person was thinking. This story is kind of different than most because in most the characters work their way towards an amazing relationship through flirting and the occasionally snide coment and dating. Instead in this book they start with the after-breakup phase. I think that that is a kind of cool twist as opposed to the usual love story, and I love the usual love story too. Plus I really wanted to know why they broke up in the first place. This may sound odd, but my favorite character is actually Jordan's quirky best friend. He's so funny that he isn't what necessarily makes me love the book (and I love a lot of books), but he makes it stand out when I think about it. Trust me you only have to get a few chapters in in order to get what I mean. All in all, great story Lauren Barnholdt did amazing with this one.

Perfect You - Elizabeth Scott

Summary: Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.
And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.
Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....
-from amazon

Review: This book was pretty good. I definitely liked Will's character a lot, but I really disliked the father's character. He was so selfish and it was always as if he was trying to pretend that he wasn't. The dad just seemed very fake to me, because he always pretended to be the good guy that cared, but he only cared about himself.
Will and Kate's relationship really drew me in, because there is a lot of passion going on between the two of them. Kate is so guarded whereas Will is so relaxed. I thought that the means to the end was better than the end itself.

She's So Money - Cherry Cheva

Summary: When Maya's parents leave their Thai restaurant in the kids' hands for a weekend, they think they can trust their overachieving, responsible daughter. But she and her brother decide not to clean up after a long night -- the night before a surprise health inspector visit. Now, Maya's got to figure out a way to pay back $10,000 without her parents finding out. So she pairs up with a rich bad boy to start doing homework for money. Soon, the demand gets so great that Maya has to recruit her other smart friends into the ring, which increases the danger of being found out.
-from common sense media


Review: I'm pretty much guaranteed to like a book if it has some romance going on and is halfway decent, but this book actually had that and was very humorous. Camden is this bad boy slacker and everything comes easy to him and Maya is this good girl that does her homework and has to work. When Maya ends up stuck with Camden it turns into a love-hate relationship, which is in my opinion the best kind. That's where things get really interesting and really fun. I love the stress that Cheva puts on Maya and then in turn on her relationship with Camden, which leads her to become more like Camden. If this doesn't really explain how much I liked this book, well then let's put it this way. Some parts were so funny that I was reading them aloud across the kitchen to my mom during dinner. After the third time I read said certain parts out loud she finally decided to stop telling me to shut up and listened. She ended up liking them too!

Hey

What's up? I'm Lauren Fitz. I go to Richmond High School and I do cheerleading and pole vault. I am sooooo excited to be starting a book blog here. A few of my friends, Hope, Kd, and Kate have had these blogs and I love reading their reviews and looking at the comments. These three, especially Hope, have got me back into reading after I hadn't really read a book since the seventh grade(and I'm a sophomore now, so not good on my part). They've been pointing me toward the good books though and I decided I wanted to review them too, so bring on the books.