Tag: Young Adult (Page 92 of 159)

BOOK REVIEW – Split by Swati Avasthi

January 24, 2016 /
BOOK REVIEW – Split by Swati AvasthiSplit by Swati Avasthi
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A riveting portrait of life after abuse from an award-winning novelist.

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. Award-winning novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

“It’s not really all right, is it? I mean, who would miss that bastard? Shouldn’t I hate him, just simple, pure hatred? Shouldn’t I write him a thank-you note for getting me out of there, for not wanting me around anymore?”

Every time I open a book labeled as realistic fiction, I brace myself, knowing that this genre covers such different kinds of stories. What will that be? A stereotypical high school cutesy? A misleading “issue book” where romance outweighs everything? A flat and boring nonsense?

Sometimes, though. Sometimes its pages contain larger than life characters whose journeys are related with such honesty and depth that we feel a little like voyeurs. Sometimes we realize how wonderful it is that an issue we read about over and over again can be pictured in a different – yet real – way. Sometimes opening this realistic fiction novel feels like being punched in the guts, our throat closing, the air thinning around us.

This is how realistic fiction should be, and Split did a splendid job at it.

Never an abusive homelife – and its consequences – has been tackled with such sincerity. I mean, perhaps it has, but I have yet to read these books. See, I often complain about twirling moustaches evils and one-dimensional characters and I can assure you that you’ll find none of them here. Don’t get fooled, I’m not saying that Jace and Christian’s dad isn’t to blame because Christ! I want him to burn to death but Swati Avasthi perfectly pictures how difficult it can be to escape an abuser – how he/she twists the reality – your reality – so much that you convince yourself that hoping for a better life is just a stupid dream. If I’m thankful enough to never have been through that, one of my best-friend did and I know how upset she would feel whenever someone implied that she was to blame for not having reacted faster. That kind of bullshit made her positively furious, and she was oh so right to be. Come on, assholes. Just try and use your brains. But I digress – In that account, Split was raw, painful at times, but – sorry, I’m repeating myself – fundamentally honest.

And you’ve got the brothers. Aw, Jace and Christian. I can’t express how much I loved seeing their complicated relationship unfold, all guilt and desire to escape and just be. They made me care and laugh and cry. I wanted to shake and protect and hug them. None of them is perfect, and their mistakes – their anger, their denial – were sometimes hard to stomach, but their fierce love and loyalty was straight-on beautiful. Swati Avasthi doesn’t shy away from the psychological effects of such abuse and Jace’s struggles to escape how it changed him. Following him was heartbreaking, yet so very hopeful.

Just – read this book, okay? I can’t promise you that you’ll enjoy every second of it, because some parts made my heart ache – others made me furious – but in the end, even if I would have wanted for some questions to be resolved View Spoiler », I can’t deny that Split is a powerful book, and Jace and Christian characters who will not be easily forgotten.

How comes that this novel isn’t more widely read?

BOOK REVIEW – Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

January 23, 2016 /
BOOK REVIEW – Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew QuickForgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate, Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school’s class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting look at a day in the life of a disturbed teenage boy, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out.

When the low, heavy sky weighs like a lid
On the groaning spirit, victim of long ennui,
And from the all-encircling horizon
Spreads over us a day gloomier than the night;

When the earth is changed into a humid dungeon,
In which Hope like a bat
Goes beating the walls with her timid wings
And knocking her head against the rotten ceiling;

– Charles Baudelaire, Spleen

Damn you, Leonard Peacock : you made me remember of who used to be one of my favorite poet when I was a teenager. Ha, Baudelaire with his genius misanthropy, his (often) poor opinion of women and his endless melancholy, always full of irony and cynicism… I would have hated him if I didn’t love him so much. Truth is, being close to Leonard felt like that : all hate and contempt and understanding and despair.

Leonard is no conventional hero, and I can see how his unlikeable traits could create great hate in the readers’ heart. Not me, though. How much he made me want to hate him, I never did.

When the rain stretching out its endless train
Imitates the bars of a vast prison
And a silent horde of loathsome spiders
Comes to spin their webs in the depths of our brains,

All at once the bells leap with rage
And hurl a frightful roar at heaven,
Even as wandering spirits with no country
Burst into a stubborn, whimpering cry.

– Charles Baudelaire, Spleen

Let’s not shy away from the truth : he is a sexist, conceited human being. But see, this is where I have to explain what I hate in books. I hate when sexism is normalized, accepted, encouraged, even. I hate it with passion. Does that mean that every book has to be rid of characters who think like that? No, I don’t think so. There is a definite difference between (1) condoning a behavior by giving readers the impression that sexism is normal, and (2) picturing a fucked up character and how he sees life through his prism. It is definitely different, and here lies the talent of an author : for me, a writer in the first situation lets his story tainted by offensive stereotypes, let it drown. A writer in the second position owns it. He controls it. Frankly? It’s obvious that what Leonard thinks is often offensive. I mean – GAH. The guy wants to kill someone and himself for fuck sake! Of course his head isn’t the better place to be! I sure didn’t expect anything else : despair and hate are more often than not intertwined, unfortunately.

— And without drums or music, long hearses
Pass by slowly in my soul; Hope, vanquished,
Weeps, and atrocious, despotic Anguish
On my bowed skull plants her black flag.
– Charles Baudelaire, Spleen

Yet I can’t deny that the hate – so much hate – gets hard to stomach at times, especially because it is tainted by so much arrogance. Yet I can’t completely dismiss his feelings. Yes, he is judgmental, he assumes many things about his classmates and all the adults in his life. All the time. It gets uncomfortable sometimes and I won’t deny it. Yet it seemed real to me, because yes, there are kids like him everywhere. Yes, the moral questions he wonders about constantly are valuable. Are we all monsters? Are we delusional?

I have more memories than if I’d lived a thousand years.

The desire to end all things
A heavy chest of drawers cluttered with balance-sheets,
Processes, love-letters, verses, ballads,
And heavy locks of hair enveloped in receipts,
Hides fewer secrets than my gloomy brain.
It is a pyramid, a vast burial vault
Which contains more corpses than potter’s field.
— I am a cemetery abhorred by the moon,
In which long worms crawl like remorse
And constantly harass my dearest dead.
I am an old boudoir full of withered roses,
Where lies a whole litter of old-fashioned dresses,
Where the plaintive pastels and the pale Bouchers,
Alone, breathe in the fragrance from an opened phial.

– Charles Baudelaire, Spleen

But don’t get fooled by his conceited mind. Leonard suffers, and at no moment can you dismiss his despair because of his behavior. I couldn’t, anyway. Along the way you realize more and more and more that Leonard has problems. Real ones. Devastating ones.

I know how stupid that can seem because DUH look at what he planned! but seeing him mixing half truths, real despair and delusions – it broke me a little. We have a word in French, le désenchantement. It was often used to refer to the post-1830 generation when youngs didn’t know what to do anymore, now that epic careers weren’t possible – no more Napoleon – and that the politic system just looked stuck, between Monarchy, Republic and Empire. One of my favorite book of all times, Stello, explores this melancholy through the life of a poet who tries to find what political system would give him the more freedom. Truth is – there’s none. Freedom is in him, in his poetic quality, in his otherness – Leonard reminded me of him. It’s scary how misunderstanding can lead to violence.

If Leonard wants people around him to be helpless and pathetic, it’s only because he is. He made me laugh, though (what? I do have a soft spot for smartasses^^) The Jesus parts were PRICELESS

That winged voyager, how weak and gauche he is,
So beautiful before, now comic and ugly!
One man worries his beak with a stubby clay pipe;
Another limps, mimics the cripple who once flew!

The poet resembles this prince of cloud and sky
Who frequents the tempest and laughs at the bowman;
When exiled on the earth, the butt of hoots and jeers,
His giant wings prevent him from walking.

– Charles Baudelaire, The Albatros

I can’t deny that some parts made me feel so much. Shivering. Tearing up. Yet it wavered – not my interest, because I was hooked from the beginning – but the emotion. It was so weird to see that I could connect on such a strong level with Leonard and then just – stop. Perhaps it was meant to be. Perhaps I was way too exhausted. Regardless of the reason, it prevented me from completely love Leonard’s story, but didn’t hide to me how important this story is.

Let’s talk about Leonard’s relations with women, okay? They made me furious at times.

A lightning flash… then night! Fleeting beauty
By whose glance I was suddenly reborn,
Will I see you no more before eternity?

Elsewhere, far, far from here! too late! never perhaps!
For I know not where you fled, you know not where I go,
O you whom I would have loved, O you who knew it!

– Charles Baudelaire, To a Passer-by

Sigh. As other reviewers pointed it, Leonard shares a very bad opinion of women in general and doesn’t show any respect most of the time. Plus, he’s a stalker. I hated him for it, but as I said earlier, I’m not supposed to love him. I don’t have to condone his actions and his way of thinking, and at no moment did I feel any pressure to do so. Quick never intend to redeem him, and I’m okay with that.

My poor Muse, alas! what ails you today?
Your hollow eyes are full of nocturnal visions;
I see in turn reflected on your face
Horror and madness, cold and taciturn.
– Charles Baudelaire, The Sick Muse

Truth be told, I’m not sure that this review will help you determine if Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is for you. What can I say? I’m not even sure it was for me. What you need to know is that it’s by no means a perfect book, with several characters a little too one-dimensional and stereotypical (the mother, for example) and a male lead you’ll perhaps want to strangle sometimes. Yet I don’t regret reading it, and his story will probably haunt me a long time. I’d say that it means something, doesn’t it?

PS. All the poems are from William Aggeler’s translations (1954), but I strongly advise you to read them in French if you can.

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Uprising (The Union #3) by T.H. Hernandez

January 21, 2016 / / 1 Comment

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY - The Uprising (The Union #3) by T.H. Hernandez

I have fallen head over heels in love with this young adult romantic adventure series! It is set in the future, with some dystopian elements, and is truly a unique book! So keep on reading to see my 5 Star Review and enter a fabulous giveaway! If you aren’t familiar with this series yet, then please check out the reading order I placed below my review. It includes links to my reviews of the first two books so you can find out more about this fabulous series! Enjoy!

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Uprising (The Union #3) by T.H. HernandezThe Uprising (The Union #3)
by T.H. Hernandez
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound, eighteen-year-old Evan Taylor must find a way to stop the Uprising, an underground movement committed to destroying the Union, before her homeland is attacked.

After spending the last four months in the Ruins trying to get back to the only girl he's ever loved, nineteen-year-old Cyrus needs to get past his jealousy over Evan's involvement with Bryce or risk losing her again.

Together, Evan and Cyrus join with their friends to devise a plan to save both the Ruins and the Union, but when the pressure’s on, bickering and infighting threaten to undermine their goals. New information revealing a weakness in the Uprising is uncovered, forcing them to act quickly or risk losing everything.

With the help of old friends and new allies they set out to make history, but it might just take a miracle for everyone to make it out alive.

THE UPRISING is the third book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future.

Review:

The Uprising was an epic journey that had me devouring the pages as fast as possible!  I easily found myself lost in all of the adventure, love, laughter, loss and plenty of risks all over again.  But this time around, many of the pieces of the puzzle were starting to move into place.  We got to see how certain events and even characters were fitting together, and it has me so ecstatic for what’s to come!   Especially since I found myself laughing, screaming, smiling, and crying while reading The Uprising.  You see, I’m completely addicted to the characters and storyline in this series.  So of course I loved every minute of it!  And here’s a few other reasons why I adore this series – 

✮ Romance that rings true.

I should go home, head back out to the Ruins, so I don’t have to watch another person I love die.
But I can’t, not until I know she’s safe.
Even if it kills me. – Cyrus

Evan and Cyrus’ love for one another burned bright, and it was truly intoxicating!  But it was also a passionate, broken mess at times.  They both had so much expectation weighing on them, and sometimes that weight helped to easily lead them down that broken path.  Whether it was an ex coming back into the picture, or a poorly made decision, there was bound to be a few fights.  Even though I kept rooting for them to find the path that fit, their makeup scenes were scorching hot!

✮ A sigh inducing book boyfriend.

He sighs, squeezing me tighter and says so softly it’s almost a sigh, “I don’t know who I am without you anymore.”
The tears that have been threatening all day flood my eyes as I rest my head against the boy I love so fiercely it terrifies me.
“Ev,”he whispers.
I lift my head, wiping my eyes, and glance up at him. The depth of emotion in his eyes slams into me, leaving me speechless.
He lowers his face inch by agonizing inch until I feel the soft brush of my favorite lips. His mouth moves with mine in a way that’s both familiar and somehow different, desperate and exciting, drawing out emotions until my heart is spiraling. – Evan & Cyrus

This time around, we also got to hear the story in Cyrus’ point of view.  That made me extremely giddy.  You see, Cyrus always had a way of getting under my skin.  He was one of those characters that captured your attention in a quiet yet bold and confident way.  Whether it was baring his soul to Evan, or taking control of a military like tactic.  So being privy to his thoughts was addicting!  Cyrus’ feelings radiated off of the pages and easily landed themselves right into my heart.

✮ Friendships that are deep and meaningful.

“So, tell me what’s going on with you and the crazy redhead.”
“We’re not having this conversation, Rainey.”
“Sure we are. You’re acting like a giant ass, you know.” – Cyrus & Rainey

One of my favorite things about The Union Series was how friendships were cultivated throughout every moment.  Whether they were hanging out around a bonfire or they were trying to save their friend who had a gun to their head, each moment added up to making me feel as though I knew them inside out.  And in each book, I found myself becoming attached to yet another character.  This time around it was Rainey.  I loved how she was rough around the edges yet she was always there to push Cyrus to talk to her about Evan.  But to be honest, I’m scared because I’m getting attached to too many of them!

✮ Character I love to hate.

I can’t pretend her sleeping with that douche doesn’t piss me off. I want to punch something every time I see him, which is pretty much every fucking day. – Cyrus

Oh yes, I’m going there lol.  Yeah there are the typical bad guys to loathe, like Walker, but who I’m talking about is Bryce.  If you’ve read my previous reviews, you know that I clearly despise the guy.  I’ve shamelessly asked for his death, and all because he still harbors feelings for Evan.  I will admit that I enjoy loathing Bryce, yes I know I clearly must have issues, but seriously is it too much to ask for him to die?  Please.  Is there anyone else in the world that agrees with me?

She owns every last piece of me. – Cyrus

So if you love a story filled to the brim with adventure and characters that you will feel deeply connected to, then this is most definitely your book!  Or even if you enjoy a world that leaps off of the pages and has sigh worthy tender moments laced throughout, that can be found here also.  Stepping back into this series made my heart beat faster and oh so happy!  I can’t wait to see what happens next, especially after that ending!

*ARC kindly provided by author via Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Union by T.H. Hernandez
The Union #1
Reviews:
Jen		the ruins th hernandez
The Ruins #2
Reviews:
Jen		The Uprising (The Union Series #3) by T.H. Hernandez
The Uprising #3
Reviews:
Jen

The Invasion #4
Reviews:
Jen

T.H. Hernandez Bio:

THHernandezWhen not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they’re still figuring out life. When I’m not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I’m obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.

Links:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Author Amazon Page

Enter T.H. Hernandez’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow along with the blog tour:

Blog Tour Schedule:

January 20th

Typical Distractions Review

LuLo Fangirl Review

January 21st

Romeo & Roo Books Guest Post

Star-Crossed Book Blog Review

January 22nd

I Read Indie Playlist

January 23rd

Jax’s Book Magic Excerpt

January 24th

Fictional Reality Playlist

January 25th

Renee Entress’s Blog Excerpt

January 26th

Love Affair with Fiction Guest Post

Nerdy Soul Review

January 27th

Reading Addict Guest Post

January 28th

Red Moon (Silence Is Read) Excerpt

SnoopyDoo’s Boook Reviews Excerpt

January 29th

Evermore Books Playlist

BookCrushin Review Only

January 30th

Extreme Bookaholic’s Excerpt

January 31st

Alpha Fangirl Book Blog Excerpt

February 1st

Ceres Books World Review Only

February 2nd

Cover2Cover Dreamcast

February 3rd

Collector of book boyfriends Dreamcast

G & T’s Indie Café Excerpt

Alpha Book Club Excerpt

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BOOK REVIEW: Underwater by Marisa Reichardt

January 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Underwater by Marisa ReichardtUnderwater by Marisa Reichardt
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then, herself.

But Morgan can’t move on. She can’t even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she’s underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school.

When it seems Morgan can’t hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside.

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.


1. Breathe
2. You are okay.
3. You are not dying.


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Probably my newest and most shocking addiction, book genre wise, is realistic fiction. It might be a surprise to some people who don’t know how neurotic I am (cough, everyone knows, cough) that there was a time before GR (B.GR.) I didn’t like books that made me feel too heavy or weighed down. I still, admittedly, don’t like to feel depressed while reading because it is supposed to be an escape, but my views have changed almost completely-Reading a story that isn’t sugar coated doesn’t make me heavier…it makes me feel whole.

I swim. I float. I breathe. I burn. I hope. I dream. I think. I wonder. I am.

Let me explain: Before, when I read a book that wasn’t, I don’t know, action-packed, full of romance, seeped in the paranormal (perhaps another shocking fact seeing as I don’t read many paranormals anymore), I didn’t find it enjoyable. I found it boring, lacking, and without intrigue. But for some reason, the wonderful year of 2015 was my year of change, my year of adventure, my year of trying new things, expanding my horizons, and, ultimately, stepping widely out of my comfort zone. And it greatly benefitted me. I now have so many favorites for 2015 that I couldn’t possibly list them or remember them all. And, believe me, that’s a good thing! Now, since I was so wonderfully stretched this year, I found a new favorite nook to ‘hide’ myself in-Realistic Fiction.


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I swear, when I read the first book that was RF in 2015, I literally-literally-face palmed myself. I wasted so many years being a snob, lifting my nose haughtily in the air, turning the other way when realistic fiction was nudged in my direction, that my head was shoved so far up my ass I missed some absolute favorites that I may never find again. Sure, I’ve swept up quite a few…and they were fabulous. But there are so many that I’ve passed over that I will never be able to find all of them again…and that makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. But that’s neither here nor there. 2015 may have been my best year for books ever, but 2016 will be the year of capitalization. I want to take all the wonderful stories I read in 2015 and use them as inspiration for what I NEED to read in 2016-and this is my first realistic fiction of the year. If this is any indication of what my year will be like…I have no reason to be scared, only good things are heading my way.

He chuckles as he rounds the corner and slides down next to me. He knocks his knee against mine. “You okay? Was it too dark, maybe?”
“I don’t think my problem was the lights being out.”
“I meant the play. That was some pretty dark shit for a bunch of kindergartners.”

LOL >.<

I don’t quite know how to explain what this story is about without ruining it, so I’ll be brief. Morgan’s life has been turned upside down: she doesn’t leave her apartment, she takes online classes instead of attending high school, and she sees a therapist every Tuesday and Thursday…in her apartment. She can’t watch the news and she regularly has panic attacks. Her life used to be normal-parties, boys, best friends, and swimming for her high school team. Her life was everything she could ever hope for….and then it wasn’t. One fateful day-October fifteenth-forever shaped her in ways she never imagined possible. Guilt threatens to smother her and secrets almost bury her alive. If only if only….if only it hadn’t happened. If only he hadn’t been there…if only. What if [less than] one hour of horror took everything good away from you in the blink of an eye-extinguished all your hopes and dreams by taking your freedom from you in an instant. What would you do? Morgan can’t even fathom walking outside her apartment. Well…at least until Evan moves in next door.

And that’s one more thing that makes me know that even though Evan and I live next door to each other, we are miles apart.
He will leave his house every day.
He will traipse through the courtyard of our building.
I will watch him go.
He will be a boy living out in the world.
I will be a girl peeking out from behind a curtain.


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Aaahhhh Evan!!!! I adored him, naturally. He was sweet, kind, caring, endearing, loyal, and everything that Morgan needed. He really was so much more than a love interest. He was her rock. He was her light at the end of the tunnel. He was the person that created the spark that stoked her inner fire again. He may have been just one of many inspirations in her life, because she adores her brother and mother, but he was the oxygen she needed to come back to life….he was her lifeline.

“You weren’t swimming. You were sitting at the bottom of the pool doing nothing.”
“I was thinking!”
“Well, stop thinking!”
“How am I supposed to do that?”


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And it’s crazy because, while I thought he would have a large part in the story since he was in it so much at the beginning, he really wasn’t in it near as much as I’d have hoped. But that’s my point-he wasn’t an extremely large part, but he had a massive impact and burrowed himself deep in my heart. She pushed him away and pushed him away and shunned him, one of my problems with the story even though I could never possibly understand her pain, yet he never gave up on her. It warmed my heart and soul, lighting me from the inside out, igniting my warm fuzzies and fluttery butterflies.

“I didn’t want it to get cold. That’s why I needed you to open up,” he says.
“Thanks, Superman.”
He grins like he’s relieved I’m calling him that. I notice dimples digging into his tan cheeks. There’s a part of me that wants to nudge my pointer finger into one of them because they’re so cute.
“I’m not superman. Clark Kent, maybe. Not Superman.”

The bonds formed in this book, her mother, brother, Evan, her friends, Brenda [her therapist], they were beautiful. They were by far the biggest highlight and strongest selling point in this story, and I found the relationships wholly realistic-they were honest and raw, gritty and deep. Relationships aren’t all sunshine and rainbows, puppies and kittens, flowers and unicorns-they are harsh and true and fragile as glass…but if you open yourself up, trust in others and in yourself, they can be the most rewarding asset in your life.


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Morgan’s struggles resonated deeply within me…until they didn’t. Ouch, okay, hear me out. The beginning was so strong, and I adored every minute, even in the end. But at one point, when she began to push Evan away (repeatedly) I had a hard time connecting with it. And that’s the thing, you don’t have to. It’s the truth. People have moments in their lives where they are at their lowest and they can’t believe someone would want to go through it with them-for them, and that’s where I lost my ability to understand. I hurt when she hurt, I ached when she ached, and I yearned when she yearned….but for about ten percent at one point (you’ll know when) I couldn’t fathom why she went there. Other than that?? This book was perfection..and I can’t imagine never having learned about it.

Her journey, her quest to restore faith in humanity-and the world-is one I don’t know I could have traveled. A quote from my favorite series of all time sums up Morgan’s life perfectly-’It takes ten times as long to pull yourself together as it does to fall apart’. And it’s true. It’s simple. It’s right. But most importantly, it applies to me. If what happened to her had happened to me, I might not have been as strong or as courageous as she (well, she gets there, that’s the whole point). It took one moment, maybe 20 minutes, for her world to shatter into oblivion….yet it took her months to try and walk out her door. Being reduced to a heaping, crumpled pile on the floor is a harsh thing…but it’s what we do after that defines who we are. I only hope I never have to live through such a tragedy…but if I do, I hope I’ll have the courage to put one foot in front of the other and live my life to the fullest. It’s all any of us can do.

Thank you, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, for bringing this wonderful book to my attention ♥

***********

I swim. I float. I breathe. I burn. I hope. I dream. I think. I wonder. I am.


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This book was everything I hoped for it to be…yet there was still something that kept it from being an instant favorite. Perhaps my mood, my tiredness (from being severely sick), or just a lack of one little thing were the causes, or maybe it just is what it is: A very endearing, thought-provoking book that touched me deeply, but didn’t stay with me. Staying with that format, I don’t have time to write a review right now, seeing as I’m at work and was late because I’m sick (again), but I will post one tomorrow for this wonderful and heart-warming story.

Hope I can do it justice!

Thank you, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, for bringing this wonderful book to my attention ♥

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BOOK REVIEW – The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

January 14, 2016 / / 6 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie WestThe Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable…convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. The task is simple: two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

The problem is that days after prom, she can't stop thinking about her fill-in boyfriend. But can Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?

Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Kasie West's talent shines in this tale of one girl's unexpected quest to find love…and possibly herself.

Review:

The Fill-In Boyfriend was an absolutely adorable book!  I happily smiled through the majority of the story, while giggling like I was in High School all over again.  I became a huge fan of Gia as she grew up throughout the story.  And I fell head over heels in love with Fill-In Bradley.  But that ending left me wanting so much more.  It felt as though there was so still much up in the air, and I would have loved to have an epilogue.  And of course more time with Fill-in Bradley.

“I can pay you.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure there are services for that. Maybe you can try calling 1-800-HOOKERS or something?”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that came with it. “You know that number well?”
He let out a single laugh.

I started out the book easily feeling sorry for Gia.  She got dumped by her boyfriend, Bradley, in the parking lot, right before they were to walk into her school dance.  Ack, how awful!  But she was a little more devastated over the fact that now she was going to be labeled a liar.  By Jules, the newest addition to their clique, who didn’t believe Gia’s long distance boyfriend was real.  And Jules was slowly trying to turn Gia’s friends against her.  In her desperation, Gia luckily saw a boy who watched the whole tragedy unfold.  An older brother sitting in the car after dropping his sister and her date off for the dance.  Gia worked her magic and convinced him to take her to the dance.  And be her Fill-in Bradley.

I loved Fill-in Bradley.  Can I please steal him out of this book?!  Please? He was mesmerizing and quickly pulled me under his spell.  Not only did he step up to the plate and help out Gia, but he defended her, watched out for her, and treated her with love and respect. Well fake love and respect, since it’s all a charade….but still!!  He gave me chills with his actions and words, and I easily melted into a puddle of goo.  But alas, all good things must come to an end.  Or not.  Haha!

His amused look softened. “So you still don’t know my name?
“No. And I need it for tonight.”
He didn’t provide me the answer but instead asked, “What have you been calling me in your head, then?”
“What makes you think you’ve been in my head?”
He just smirked like he knew he had. And he was right. “Fill-in Bradley.”

You see, Fill-in Bradley’s younger sister, Bec, is making Gia return the favor.  Gia now gets to pretend to be Fill-in Bradley’s girlfriend at his ex’s bbq.  Shrieks of excitement escaped out of me when that was announced!  I had so much fun watching them play their little charade, and I had even more fun the second time around.  But like Gia, I too became confused at times.  Because sometimes their actions as a fake boyfriend and fake girlfriend felt real.  And what would happen if one of them wanted more?

He greeted several people then scooted his chair extra close to mine. While he ate with one hand, his other was always resting on the back of my chair, or on my shoulder, or playing with the ends of my hair. I knew it was for show and I had to keep telling myself that as chills radiated down my spine every time he touched me.

But you want to know what surprised me the most about The Fill-In Boyfriend?  How much I loved Fill-in Bradley’s sister, Bec.  She was hilarious, endearing and honest.  I loved how she meddled with Gia and Fill-in Bradley’s relationship.  How she helped remind them that they were just pretending, damn it.  But what I loved most about her SPOILER was how she taught Gia what being a true friend meant. Because let me tell you, Gia definitely didn’t have much experience in that department.

I let him take me to the makeshift dance floor across the sand. I let him wrap my arms up around his neck and then rest his hands on my hips. For one moment I forgot we had an audience and it was for them that we were performing this show. He made me forget I had come here to try to get him out of my head.

So, thank goodness for Fill-in Bradley and Bec stepping into Gia’s life, because her old friends desperately needed to grow up and disappear.  They were a group of catty bitches.  And her parents and brother weren’t much better than them unfortunately.  But lucky for us, Gia does learn and grow throughout the story.  I was more than pleasantly surprised!

Looking back, I still can’t believe I flew through this book in under a day!  It was that addicting!  And I was that obsessed wanting to know what was going to happen with fill-in Bradley.  What can I say?  I get obsessed with my fiction male characters haha!  I just wish there was an epilogue or another chapter or two explaining some loose ends, because this book could have easily been 5 Stars!

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