Book Review: Little & Lion

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

Check out the book on Amazon. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I know how easy it is to believe you're doing the right thing if you say it to yourself often enough

Little & Lion, is a moving novel about a beautiful story that can't be anything but incredibly marvelous. At first, the book seems like a typical book about a sixteen-year-old girl who is home from school to be with her loving family.

The complicated relationship was probably one of my favorite parts of this story. As a person who has a sibling that has a severe mental illness, I could genuinely feel for Suzette. They obviously love each other despite their issues.The story has a bipolar representation inside of it. Lionel shares his true feelings about his mental illness. He also shares about the meds he has to take. The way he describes it is raw and honest. You can see his emotions just flowing off the pages. These are feelings that I have had and can relate to. I believe many people could really relate to him and his issues. It was really nice to see actual mental illness representation in young adult literature, 

“I hate that I feel like nothing good is ever going to happen to me again. And that sometimes I don’t really feel like anything at all.”

The writing was so moving and powerful. The author Brandy Colbert handles tough topics like racism, bisexuality, mental illness, and blended family without being offensive, stereotypical or demonizing. This is something that almost never happens in literature. Authors mean well of course but rarely actually succeed in this area.

 My only complaint about this book is that it was a bit predictable and slow at times. I mean I guessed everything that happened before it happened. Which took away the enjoyment of it a little bit. That is still a good book regardless of the pace of this book.  

Little & Lion is a contemporary young adult novel that is very mature and far from the manipulative drama filled typical nonsense out there today. It is a story that builds relationships that are true and honest. It is a dynamic story filled with authentic diversity. Please check this book out! You need it. 

Book Review: Whatever Happened To Janie? *** Lots of spoilers****

Book info

As Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl on the milk carton, she was overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl?it was she. 

How can it possibly be true? But it is. With the mystery of her kidnapping now unraveled, Janie's story continues, and the nightmare is not over. No one can bring back or relive the 12 years gone by. The Spring family wants justice, but who is really to blame? 

The Johnsons know that they must abide by the court decisions made, but it's difficult to figure out what's best for everyone. Janie Johnson or Jenny Spring? Who is she? Certainly there's enough love for everyone, but how can the two separate families live happily ever after?

My Thoughts About This Book:

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

You know that book that you have read over and over again from your childhood or teens, and each time it just is so good? That is this entire series for me. There is just something about Caroline B. Cooney's dramatic flare that just entertains me so much still. I will say in the latest re-read I didn't realize just how overly dramatic the writing is. At least it shows me that my tastes have improved a little. 

I first read this book when I was a preteen wandering the rows of books at the library. I came across a librarian that I knew who asked me what I was looking for? I have no idea what I exactly said but it was something to the affect of "surprise me" and she ran off and brought this series to me. It quickly became my favorite series. 

I never thought I would say this but this book is so much better than the first book, The Face on the Milk Carton, which is a book that hooked me from the start. At this point, Janie has found out that her parents that she has lived with since she can remember aren't her real parents. Her life and her world has shifted, twisted, and been thrown upside down. There is so much complexity to her feelings, she loves her "so-called" mother and doesn't want to leave. 

She has a challenge ahead of her. She has to deal with conflicting emotions and feelings. She has to deal with the anger from her siblings. She has to deal with the feeling of betrayal, which is something she feels that she is doing to her "fake" family. She has to learn how to live and find her place among the Springs. Her real family, her real blood. 

In the end, she makes a decision that so few expected. Which was to return to the family that kidnapped her. As she didn't feel as if she belonged or fit into the family. This creates chaos and hurt in the Springs, and ultimately both families are rocked to their core. The siblings now want revenge. Will they all just suffer more sorrow and pain?

This book is so captivating. It will draw you in and take you on an emotional journey. It is far from perfect, but has a great plot line and takes on issues that few young adult books did at the time it was released. I believe many readers will enjoy this one.

Book Review: Asunder (New Souls #2)

Book info

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Links to Purchase: Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Book Depository 

My Thoughts About This Book:

This book was not that great. This book is so boring and so very slow. Part of me wanted to give up and just say I can't do this anymore, but I stuck with it. There was just something about this book that makes me want to read it. I have no idea why this sucks. I just can't stop myself. I can't put it down. This love of reading really can be a sickness at times. Perhaps it is how lovely the covers are in this series or maybe there is something wrong with me. Never the less I keep reading this ridiculous series.

I had some expectations due to my previous feelings about the first book Incarnate. It wasn't my favorite book but it wasn't terrible. It was a solid three stars. The concept was quite awesome, but not completely to my liking. I felt like the second book could redeem the series in my mind. Unfortunately, this book didn't do that at all instead it completely ignored the mysteries about the first book. I honestly feel like this book could be about 200 hundred pages lighter. It just seemed far too long.

This book is just filled with romance drama. It is completely melodramatic. It continually made me roll my eyes. In the first book, the love story was cute, all little immature but okay. In this book, all they did was fight. It really wasn't healthy or good. I felt like the main character Anna was always fearful of falling in love, of giving her self to someone. I think we all have these moments for sure. I am not saying being fearful of love is a bad thing. She is just childish and he is too patient with her. I will say that this doesn't involve any sex which is typical of young adult and something I prefer.

The main plot wasn't terrible. The story building and writing were so much better than the first book, in my opinion. I liked the way the other spun the events and explained a couple deep issues. I just felt like it always took way to long to accomplish anything. Which was part of the letdown? The resolution is at the end of the book, like I mean the very end. It was frustrating feeling like nothing was going to come to pass or get taken care of. It does make me want to read the last one.

Overall this book just wasn't great for me. I don't know if I will continue on to the third book. As always my thoughts are just my own and you should check out the book for yourself. Happy reading!

Book Review: Incarnate

Book info

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Book Depository 

My Thoughts About This Book:

This is a book I have had on my shelves for years. It has moved to several houses. I figured it was probably time to pick it up! This book initially grabbed me from the cover. As it is so gorgeous. To be perfectly honest I expected it to be better than it was. Perhaps because it was a beautiful cover, I figured it must be better, more dramatic, and ultimately fantastic. I guess this teaches me not to buy a book solely for the cover. Regardless of how pretty it looks on my shelf.

The premise of this story is that Ana, the main character. She is new in a town were new souls aren't created people are just incarcerated. In Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over. Their memories are present, and they know about everything from their previous lives. This all changed when Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

I won't go into the details of the story as I don't want to spoil anyone. This is a hard book to describe without ruining it for everyone. Instead, I want to talk about how the writing was. I enjoyed the author's prose and the message that this book carried. To me, this book was speaking about peace and an underlining hope for our future. It explores how society could have a positive outcome over the sad and bleak results that seem to plague dystopian fiction. Which yes I do understand is the point of dystopian novels, but I still like this change.

The romance in this book isn't revolting and is developed. It is a realistic relationship pace which I was beginning to think was impossible for young adult literature. It isn't instant-love, and it isn't love at a snail's pace. It is a breath of fresh air in my opinion.

The way this book dealt with the changing of genders was just bizarre to me. I understand that gender can be a sensitive topic, so I won't get into that black hole. I was really excited when I found out that this book could potentially explore what life could be like genderless or one gender. After all in my opinion gender is really just something society sets on us. For me, this part of the book just confused me. The point I am referencing is when Anna gets jealous of her boyfriend's curves from back when he was a woman in one of his past lives. I just couldn't understand or grasp that thought formulation.

Personally in my opinion Incarnate could have been excellent. It could have been a favorite of mine. It had so much possibility with the use of nature and reincarnation. It could have used the concept of souls in such a better and more profound way. It could have been an in-depth book that invokes meaning and personal reflection. It didn't though, so it is just a bit flat.

Book Review: Mean Girls

Release date: September 12 2017

I don't know how I am supposed to feel,  as I was reading it was super fun and nostalgic but then it was also just the movie in novel form? So it wasn't exactly ground breaking stuff. At least this book is what it promises to be, and doesn't disappoint you like that Harry Potter book did. 

Perhaps it is too late to try and write this type of book. Mean girls is pretty much over, unless this is an attempt to revitalize the cult base.

My number one complaint was it felt more immature then high school. The way that it was portrayed I would have guess why younger than their supposed age. The writing style was quite basic with nothing really risky or unique. It's sort of the reason why I don't like young adult all that  much.  At least the easy writing style allows you to read the whole book in one day!  

Also I feel like the claim of ‘‘tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content’’  is completely bogus, some of those scenes happened in the movie. If your going to promise my content that is new, give me new content already. 

My favorite part of this novelization is the multiple points of view it is told in. Each chapter is told by a different mean girl cast member, example Regina, Karen, and Cady. It provided much needed interest to the book. I was never a popular girl or with the in crowed so Cady gave me hope that a normal girl could be friends with the popular girls. 

The book follows the movie quite closely. The opening scenes involve her getting ready for her first day of real high school. She lived in Africa most of her life. It is home, a sanctuary, her safe harbor. Unfortunately she is forced to move when her mother relocates for a new job. If that wasn't enough of an adjustment, get ready for this, she isn't being home schooled anymore. I think she honestly wants to go but is a little apprehensive. 


She quickly makes friends and basically becomes a plastic and changes. We watch he spiral out of control. Which is sad that none really sets her straight or comes to her rescue. Overall it was nice to remember the storyline, might read it again.

Disclaimer: Thank you scholastic for sending me an arc for review! 

Links to purchase: Amazon and Barnes & Noble


Goodreads Description:

You know the story--or do you?

Cady Heron grew up homeschooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school.  

With no prior research to guide her, Cady's forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own. Suddenly she finds herself sucked into Girl World as a new member of the social elite dubbed "The Plastics." Cady discovers that unlike the wild, Girl World doesn't have any rules--especially when you maybe, possibly, okay definitely, have a giant crush on their ruthless leader's ex-boyfriend. Turns out, life in high school might be even more brutal than a showdown on the Savannah.

Based on the screenplay by Tina Fey, this retelling of the cult classic film includes tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content.

Book Review: Scrawl (Spoilers)

This book is a really amazing gem. I enjoyed everything about it. I feel like this is a must read for all teens. The main reason why I love this book is that it had a unique perspective, with an extremely unlikely protagonist. This book will take you deep into the mind of a troubled bully. Even though he was a bully he still was on the honor roll, had perfect attendance, and got great grades. The voice of this book is just so strong and chilling. You really feel like you could know this kid. The characters were vast, interesting, and entirely developed.

The book follows Tod Munn, who is out of control and secretly brilliant. He lives in a rough town and is extremely poor. His parents are stressed and distant. Unfortunately,  because money is tight he helps out his mom with her sewing and laundry business. They are literally living on a prayer. This stress is complete overwhelming young Tod. Although he has to keep those feelings buried. He stepfather Dick, who is aptly named, really dislikes Tod and they have several issues. He eats breakfast and lunch at school because there is never food on the table for him, This was really hard to get through, as someone who has really struggled with food at times this was very heartbreaking. I knew exactly how he felt and how much pain he was in.

He has two questionable best friends. They are called drugs, Rex and Rob are the secondary characters of this novel. There is also a boy named Bernie, although he really isn't involved in the story much. They are the tough guys and really lived up to their image, stealing, drinking, and getting ladies. He keeps a lot of secrets from them, things like his great grades and attendance.

The teachers in this book really pick on him and completely incompetent at times. He is thrown into detention, and it is carried out in a really interesting way. The school guidance counselor, Mrs. Woodrow, makes him keep a diary or journal of sorts. She believes he is innocent, and she wants him to prove it. They were caught doing something pretty bad, but you don't find out what until the end of his journal. The mystery and suspense is very nice. The other two bad boys are sentenced to clean up the outside of the school. This causes some tension with the group. The guidance counselor really gives Todd a come to Jesus experience.

Even though he really doesn't want to tell her any information, he ends up opening up a lot. He pours his heart out in a tragic honesty. I enjoyed the times that the guidance counselor would write back to him, and help him with spelling. But at this point, I figure I should tell you a major issue I have with this book. He writes quite detailed descriptions of things that should have gotten him removed from the home. I sort of feel like the guidance counselor really dropped the ball on that.

This was a serious page turner for me. I read it all in a day, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened next.  This is a pretty big book at 200 pages so normally it would take me a few days to finish. I just got so caught up in the storyline, I felt like I was apart of the story, not just an outsider viewing it unfold. This book is an excellent example of what a first person novel should be. Tod's voice is quite memorable. It isn't a typical novel which may make some readers not enjoy this book. It also jumps from the past to present quite a lot.

I feel like a lot of teens will really connect with this book. The teen years can be quite tough, isolating, and rough. It can leave a teen feeling misunderstood and completely defeated. They also can feel abused or victimized by teachers and other staff. This book will show them that they aren't alone and that they aren't powerless after all.


Be sure to check out this book for yourself. It is funny, heartbreaking, deep, and extremely memorable. This will be a book that will make you want to take out your tissue box and will leave you with one of the best book hangovers.


I picked up this book at my local library, but will be purchasing it very soon! Surprisingly good. "read" via Audio book via Overdrive

Goodreads Description: 

Tod Munn is a bully. He’s tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad.

Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor. He doesn’t know why he’s there, but she does. Tod’s punishment: to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest. But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for real? 

Read Tod’s notebook for yourself. 

Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 8/21/2012 Pages: 240 Reading Level: Age 12 and Up

Book Review:The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)

Title: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1) 

Author: C.J. Redwine

Page Count:

Where I received: From The Library

Actual Rating: 1 out of 5 stars


Can I give a negative star rating,  please? I mean really. I am sure I am going to get so much hate on this review, but I hated this book. With a passion. I almost didn't finish, it but then it was like I was getting so annoyed I had to keep going. This book seriously disappointed me.

I wanted to read this book because it seemed sort of like the television show Once a upon a time. I am a sucker for retellings so that was part of it. Also look at that awesome cover. How can a cover be so pretty in black and white? Also, why is the typography so amazing? Also, I found out the apple is actually carved and not digitally edited, so props to that person.Unfortunately, this cover lies about who awesome this book is. I guess don't judge a book by its cover.

The story isn't terrible or anything, the writing wasn't horrific. It was just the same story we have heard time and time again. The writing was simple. There was barely enough detail or descriptions of things. The characters were uninteresting and stale. They weren't anything special, and after reading, I had to actually look up the names again. That is how forgettable they were. The villain made my yawn, with his one-dimensional self.

In this story, we follow the main character Lorelai, who has recently lost her mother. The Father is now going to marry her sister. Her sister Queen Irina, seems to be exactly what this broken family needs. She is a magic wielder and has a close bond with Lorelai. Unfortunately, Queen Irina seems to be quite evil, and Lorelai is forced to make tough decisions to save her family, but not before her sister breaks apart their family. Fast forward ten years, now a powerful sorcerer is starving the Kingdom. Will she be able to save her people?

This is where things got ridiculous for me. She is "supposedly" a strong princess but she doesn't believe in diplomacy? Well.. sweetheart, you can't be a princess and run a Kingdom then can you? I just really didn't understand why she cared about her people, if she didn't intend on doing anything afterward. Her character was just not build up. Instead of learning from things, she just let things happen. She was completely naive and idiotic. The other thing that bugged me was that she didn't know that things were so bad in her kingdom. That some mother in the village were killing their children so they wouldn't have to starve. How much does she know of her own Kingdom and their situation? What is she even fighting for? Why should the reader care, if the main character doesn't even care?

The world-building was virtually nonexistent. Which was sad because there were multiple kingdoms. It just had so much potential!

In conclusion, this was so boring and super flawed. I'm a huge fan retellings and I just can't see people liking this book. Try it out for yourself, you might just love it.

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Description:

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Book Review: Zenn Diagram

Title: Zenn Diagram 

Author: Wendy Brant 

Page Count: 328 Pages

Where I received: From The Library

Actual Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Before I start this review I need to say I loved the premise of this book and the cover. Which I realize is a bad reason to read a book but still. Everyone in their sister loves this book, so I was pretty excited to start it. Unfortunately, it wasn't my kind of book though. 

When I found out that the main character of this book is a girl who loves math, I was pretty stinking excited. As a girl in a STEM program, this is a pretty could have been a great representation and inspired more girls to join. I also just think this is a great idea for a book. The parallels with math, the fractals the main character receives are really beautifully written. The details are described will, even if the reasoning isn't solid. It could have been pulled off in a really imaginative way.  

Essentially Eva Walker can't have contact with a single soul without having an in-depth look at the persons emotional struggles. This is something she had dealt with since before she can remember. She feels things so deeply and is forced to be rather withdrawn from people. She loves math but struggles with having only one friend. So of course since she is a tutor, her student just happens to be this boy named Zenn. One little touch from his jacket causes an emotional punch in the gut. Of course, the attraction between them grows and Eva must find a way to cope. 

Unfortunately for me, this book is, in my humble opinion, one hundred and ten percent instant love. It doesn't even pretend to hide it. The reason for connection can be seen a mile away. There is zero mystery because it is just so pat! I dislike the idea that giving up something you have worked hard for and wanted for is a romantic gesture. That is not romantic, it's completely idiotic. I know this is a difference of opinion but I feel like it shouldn't be viewed as selfish for having goals and working hard for them. 

I also dislike how much time Eva spends talking about how she is different, and "isn't like other girls." I was so annoyed by that comment by the end of the book. I really hated that she makes everything about herself and is honestly a horrible friend. She gets upset when her friend develops an interest in boys, clothes, or other supposed normal teenage things. This drove me up the wall because you can have different interests than your friends. It doesn't mean you can't be friends. 

In conclusion, this book is your typical young adult book. Filled with instant-love, fate, and ridiculous best friend drama. At least this idea was super interesting and fun, so that is something. This isn't the type of book for me, but that doesn't mean it is  a bad book at all. Try it out for yourself, you might just love it. 




Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Description:

The more I touch someone, the more I can see and understand, and the more I think I can help. But that’s my mistake. I can’t help. You can’t fix people like you can solve a math problem.

Math genius. Freak of nature. Loner.

Eva Walker has literally one friend—if you don’t count her quadruplet three-year-old-siblings—and it’s not even because she’s a math nerd. No, Eva is a loner out of necessity, because everyone and everything around her is an emotional minefield. All she has to do is touch someone, or their shirt, or their cell phone, and she can read all their secrets, their insecurities, their fears.

Sure, Eva’s “gift” comes in handy when she’s tutoring math and she can learn where people are struggling just by touching their calculators. For the most part, though, it’s safer to keep her hands to herself. Until she meets six-foot-three, cute-without-trying Zenn Bennett, who makes that nearly impossible.

Zenn’s jacket gives Eva such a dark and violent vision that you’d think not touching him would be easy. But sometimes you have to take a risk…

Book Review: Dessert First

Ouch, this book really hurt. This book is so emotional raw I am struggling to explain the way this book made me feel. This book looks like your average sweet YA novel but it is not. It is a powerfully moving book about some of lifes hardest challeges.

With that said it wasn't my favorite book. 

Desserts First caught my attention because of the title. I mean of course I want dessert first!! I am sure at some point I read the blurb when I requested it but I don't look at it again before I read it. Well, I was surely surprised when this book was not really about food but about cancer and how our MC (and her family) deals with her brother having it.

This book had way too much going on. There was so much more than just her brother having cancer. There were other people with cancer, her crush on a friend, catfishing of a friend, an online friend who she was scared would kill herself, lots of bullying at school and dealing with school in general with all the other stuff going on. While I appreciated these tough subjects being tackled, I think it was one (maybe three) too many to properly address them.

Then our MC Kat is a wee bit abrasive. Totally get she has a really hard situation but it was almost hard to like her at times. She did start to recognize this and grow during the book which was something I loved to see. There were other characters that I did enjoy quite a bit including her  brother and her crush. Then there were characters who were awful including the mean girl bullies. Man they were rough and the bullying seemed so over the top.

This mostly sounds negative I know but honestly, I found it got better as it went on and I was pretty invested in the story. While a bit predictable I still wanted to see how it played out. And it played out with me sobbing more than once. This was a debut so while I had my issues with this I am definitely looking forward to more from this author.

This was a great story, it was much better as I got further and further invested in it. 


Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Merit Press in exchange for my honest but completely unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes&Noble 


Goodreads Description: 

Upbeat--that's Kat, the girl in the family who everyone turns to when things get difficult. Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance.

But Kat's worried that she and her bone marrow may not be up to the task: She can't even complete homework, and she's facing other rejection--lost friendships, a lost spot on the soccer team, and lots of heartache from her crush on her former best friend, Evan.

 Kat doesn't know if her bone marrow will save Beep, or whether she can save herself, let alone keep her promise to Beep that she'll enjoy life and always eat dessert first.

Dessert First is a funny, moving story about coping, appreciating sweetness, and learning to forgive





Author Information: 

Dean Gloster is a former law clerk to two U.S. Supreme Court Justices and a former stand-up comedian. When not writing YA novels, he ski races during the winter (Super-G is his best event) and is enrolled in the low-residency MFA program in writing for children and young adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where he has the most amazingly wonderful classmates in the world. 

His wife Nancy Ricci works at the children’s hospice and respite care facility, The George Mark House in San Leandro, California, which inspired Dean in part to write his first novel. When Dean is not at home in Berkeley, California, Saucy the dog guards the commas in his manuscripts. 

Writing, flying, and ski racing have lots in common: According to Douglas Adams, all you have to do is throw yourself at the ground and miss.

Book Review: Dial Em for Murder

Get ready for a wild ride. My first series of 2017 is about to start. 

I am deciding to start a new series on YA Novels. Often during the next three months, I will be reviewing quite a few YA novels from publishers. 

What would you do if death literally fell into your lap? 

That is exactly what happened to sixteen-year-old Emmy Danvers. She must figure things out now.  

Lets talk about the characters. Our main character Emmy loves romance novels and writing, which is why in our story she is half way through writing her novel. She is your average teenager except she seems quite quirky and wise beyond her years. At the beginning of the book, she is at Starbucks trying to add some depth to her story. When a strange older man mumbled a cryptic message to her. Then tackled her to the ground, dying right on top of her. 

The character in this book that I didn't like was Ben. He often was a jerk, treated Emmy pretty badly at times. I also hated all the mansplaining he did. ( I hate using that word by the way). In the end, though he always had her back, which is perfect best friend behavior. 

Then there is Sebastian St. James, the rich boy that Emmy hates. He is sort of the bad boy character in this novel. She hates him, his actions, his character, and pretty much all that he stands for. Of course, she does develop slight feelings because teenage girls in YA novels seem to be unable to resist bad boy charms. 

A cutesy YA Novel.  This book has a pretty good plot line, in fact, I didn't find that the plot line was lacking in any way. The protagonist is incredibly fun and sassy. The characters are likable. The mystery does exist even if the romance sometimes gets in the way. I found that some of the things YA  novels get stuck on,  instant-love,  love triangles, bad boy gets turned into good boy instantly, didn't happen in this book. It was all just really fun and cute. 

What I didn't like about this book, was the open ending. In my opinion, this novel was sort of un-ended. It left the reader with more questions, little answers, and slightly confused. I really don't enjoy investing so much time and getting such little results. I am not saying the book was bad because of this it just made it a little annoying. 


In summary, I found  Dial Em for Murder to be quite a fun read. This is what I want out of every YA novel. Even if the characters are slightly clichéd. The mystery in the book is not bad, although the romance of the novel sometimes puts the mystery aspect on the back burner. I enjoy reading this book, and it engaged me enough to never bore. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fun mysteries, young adult books, or romance novels. Check it out for yourself. 

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Merit Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All thought and opinion are my own. 

Links to purchase: Amazon and Barnes&Noble


Goodreads Description: 

Sixteen-year-old Emmy Danvers was just trying to write a halfway decent romance novel when a senile old man mumbled a cryptic warning, tackled her to the ground in the middle of Starbucks, and...died right on top of her.

Unfortunately for Emmy, the incident wasn't quite as random as she thought, and it turns out that the old man might have taken a bullet for her. Not only that, he slipped something into her pocket: a digital tablet containing secrets that she has no idea how to unlock, but that others are ready to kill for. Thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems, Emmy must try to track down her absentee father, deal with a flirtatious bad boy who may or may not be on her side, and, oh yeah, stay one step ahead of the killers lurking in the shadows of an exclusive prep school. The old man's parting advice to "trust nobody" doesn't sound so crazy after all....

"Bates weaves a fast-paced, heart-in-throat thriller!" --Mary Elizabeth Summer, author of Trust Me, I'm Lying and Trust Me, I'm Trouble

"Dial Em for Murder kept me up--with all the lights on--long past my bedtime." --Tracy Deebs, author of Doomed and The Tempest series, and coauthor of The Hero Agendaseries

"Marni Bates's Dial Em for Murder has it all: quirky humor, pulse-quickening action, and a sassy heroine you'll love."--Emily McKay, author of The Farm series

"A funny and engaging read that will keep you guessing." --Paula Stokes, author of Liars, Inc.

Author Info: 




Marni Bates' autobiography MARNI (part of HCI's Louder Than Words series) was on the New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List. She then signed a five book deal with KTeen. Her first YA novel, AWKWARD, has been optioned by the Disney Channel as a made-for-TV movie and translated into several languages. Her latest YA novel DIAL EM FOR MURDER is with Merit Press.

In her free time she can be found reading romance novels, hiking, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and watching copious amounts of television--strictly for artistic inspiration, of course.
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