Yesterday I Read....how to save a life by Sara Zarr

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 341

Received: Checked out at Library

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Sara Zarr

Grades 9 and Up

Nominated For YALSA’s 2012 Teen Top Ten

~Jill~
No one wants to be Jill’s friend. but that hasn’t always been the case. Back when Jill’s dad awas alive, she had it all! A great relationship with her dad, fantastic best friends, and a perfect boyfriend. But that was then. Now Jill’s dad has died, she’s alienated her friends, broken up with her boyfriend, and the not-so-great relationship she’s had with her mother is rockier than ever, especially when her mother decides to adopt a baby.


~Mandy~

Raised by a single mother who constantly has a different boyfriend, Mandy is determined that the child she’s carrying will have all that she never did. She will find someone to care for and love this child, and then find someone to take care of her. 


As Jill and Mandy’s worlds collide, they will each have to learn to forget about the past and move forward. Jill will have to realize that the “Old” Jill is gone, and she can’t get her back. Mandy will have to learn to trust and realize that that history doesn’t have to repeat itself.

My Review:

I’ve always enjoyed Sara Zarr’s books, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the way she alternates that chapters to tell Jill and Mandy’s stories. Each character is so distinctly different from the other, and Zarr gives each their unique voice.  The characters are real, and for the most part, so are their stories. 

This is a good book. I give it 3 stars because the story is good, the characters are real, but it wasn’t a “I can’t wait to turn the page,” book for me. I was able to put it down and walk away without rushing back to it....but it was a book I wanted to finish. I wanted to know that the characters were going to survive their crises. It was nice to have a “happily ever after,” that worked out for everyone in the book!

I do recommend this book for Grades 9 and up for sexual content. 

Yesterday I Read....My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Publication Date: June 14, 2012

Publisher: Dial Book for Young Readers

Pages: 395

Received: NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Huntley Fitzpatrick

Grades 9 and Up

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them…until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs her trellis and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love and stumble through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first romance, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own—even as she keeps him a secret from her disapproving mother and critical best friend. Then the unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha’s world. She’s suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?...from Author’s Website.

My Review

For Sarah Dessen fans out there, this is a book you will love! This book gets classified in the “I couldn’t put it down,” section! It grabbed my attention from the start, and never let me down or disappointed me! Samantha, the main character, was so likable that I hurt when she hurt, I fell in love when she did, and I rooted for her in the deepest and darkest times!


Samantha is the good daughter. The daughter that doesn’t cause any problems. The daughter that mom, the state senator, can count on to always do what she’s told and be at her best. So when Sam falls for the guy from “the wrong side of the tracks,” that lives next door, Samantha learns to find her own voice and her own place in their family. Then just as true love is blossoming and Samantha has come out with her relationship with Jase, the most unthinkable happens. It’s at this point in the book that I just wanted to crawl into the pages and be there for Samantha! Samantha faces some tough decisions, battles through ultimatums, but in the end, good overcomes evil!

I recommend this book for grades 9 and up. It has some language, and does contain mature content. 

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Yesterday I Read....Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Publication Date: June 12, 2012

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 336

Received: NetGalley and EgmontUSA

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

http://myramcentire.blogspot.com/

Grades 7 and Up

Summary:

The space time continuum is being manipulated to further Jack’s own agenda, and unless Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and other members of the Hourglass can find Jack and the research he has stolen, the “powers that be” will set time to rewind with devastating consequences.

Kaleb has his dad back, but his mom still resides in a coma, having had her memories robbed, thus draining her of life. Emerson has Michael back and is now an official member of The Hourglass. Jack and Cat have disappeared, but Jack still doesn’t have what he needs and will stop at nothing to get it. With each day that passes, rips are bleeding through time and being seen by everyone, and not just by Em and Michael, but by Kaleb, Dune, Nate, and.....Lily! Together, they must locate Jack, the research, and much more!

My Review:

It’s so refreshing to pick up a 2nd book in a series and enjoy it just as much, if not more than the first! Timepiece is the next book, after Hourglass, in a series by Myra McEntire of the same name. Hourglass is one of the 24 nominated books in YALSA’S 2012 Teen Top Ten. My review for it can be found here....Review of Hourglass.

Timepiece, unlike Hourglass, is told from Kaleb’s point of view. It held all of the mystery, suspense, time travel, and twists as the first book, and then some! We even get a tie-in to Mythology in Timepiece, with a connection to Chronos, the Personification of Time. Romance abounds as well in Timepiece, with Kaleb finding someone as feisty as himself. 

Many times in sequels, I feel that authors spend too much ink retelling portions of the previous book. Thank you, Myra McEntire, for not doing this! Timepiece flowed smoothly, continuing the story that was begun in Hourglass, while adding new players, uncovering more story lines and creating another level of the plot that will continue on into the next book.....which I will be eagerly anticipating!  

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Yesterday I Listened To....Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Published: January 3, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Pages: 387 Pages (Audio book: 8 Discs 

Received: Checked out at Library

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

By Marissa Meyer 

Grades 7 and up
Nominated For YALSA’s 2012 Teen Top Ten

*Review does contain some spoilers.

This is not just another Cinderella story, this is a unique, creative, and innovative retelling that Marissa Meyer knocked out of the park. 

Cinder is an orphaned Cyborg, part human, part machine, with no memory of her parents. She was adopted by a man who dies of a plague that has invaded New Beijing, where Cinder lives, and there is no cure. She has been  left as the ward of a Step-mother who hates her, and two step-sisters....one whom she loves and cares for, and one that hates her, like all step-sisters in Cinderella stories. 


It’s been over 100 years since World War IV has ended, peace talks with the Lunar Queen are ongoing, and the emperor has contracted the plague. Palace doctors are frantically working on an antidote to save the emperor. His son, and successor to the throne is Prince Kai. His android is broken down, and Princess Kai must get her fixed soon, for she holds secrets that could keep him from a dreary future that is on the horizon. Princess Kai delivers his android to the marketplace for repair where he instantly clicks with an android mechanic who is renowned for her skills, Cinder. 


Will Princess Kai convince Cinder to attend the annual ball as his special guest? Can she hide the fact that she’s part machine from him? ....and How will Cinder handle discovering that she is the one that can save the future of her world?


My Review


I listened to Cinder on audio CD, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I was expecting the typical retelling, but was completely relieved that Marissa Meyer’s gave us a fresh, creative story! This story has tragedy, romance, political unrest, identity crisis, and more! Though this story was a retelling of Cinderella, there were differences such as:

• Cinder was very close with one of the step-sisters.
• Prince Charming (AKA Prince Kai) romanced Cinder. He wanted her with him from their first meeting, and didn’t hide that....he invited her to the ball and defended her honor when it needed defending.
• There was no lost slipper, however there was a Cyborg foot that came off.
• The Prince did not have to find the identity of the owner of the foot, but did discover who Cinder really was.....and still has a lot to learn about her true identity. 
• And after book one in the series, there is not a Happily Ever After. 

This book is a hit with me, and Marissa Meyer’s, much to my frustration, left a great cliff-hanger, that’s going to make February 5, 2013 seem forever away. That is the expected release date for Scarlet, the 2nd book in the Lunar Chronicles. 

Yesterday I Read....Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Published: June 14, 2011

Publisher: Egmont USA

Pages: 390

Received: Checked out at Library

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author's Website

Grades 7 and Up
Nominated For YALSA’s 2012 Teen Top Ten

Emerson Cole is 17 years old, has tragically lost her parents, is living with her brother and his wife, and is trying to live a normal life. But visions of Southern gals, a jazz trio, and other apparitions of years gone by just won’t allow that. But maybe Emerson isn’t crazy after all, just someone with a special ability to travel in time, much like Michael, a consultant from the Hourglass, who can also see the jazz trio! 

Emerson finally has answers....but those answers are not going to bring her a life of normalcy that she craves. They bring circuit blowing electricity when she and Michael touch. They bring more confusion, mystery, and more special people in her life than she can wrap her mind around.....and they bring danger.....

This was a “I can’t wait for you to leave me alone so I can finish my book, book for me!” 

Hourglass started strong, immediately grabbing my attention, and held it the entire time! I love time travel reads, and that is what Hourglass is, but with a lot of mystery, and many twists. Mind-blowing twists....the kind where you have to turn the page back to make sure you really read what you just read! 

And what I REALLY liked about this story.....it’s not a copy cat of another story out there with names changed! It’s original!! What a creative mind Myra McEntire has!!! 

The characters are so likable, not all, but those that are unlikable, or so unlikable, that you like them....Hmmmm....I guess what I’m saying is that books need villains, and Hourglass has no shortage of villains. You could say that Hourglass is a Super Hero book, where all the Super Heroes....and Villains, have mental powers, rather than physical powers, and some use their powers for good, and some for evil. 

And for those of you, like me, who need a little romance in a book, again, McEntire does not disappoint! 

I’m so excited that this isn’t just a single book....the next in the series is Timepiece, which is set to release on June 12, 2012.

Review of Timepiece can be found here....Review.

Feature and Follow Friday {5}

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! To Join this BLOG HOP go to Parajunkee or Alison Can Read.

TIA to new followers!! Looking forward to all the new blogs I'll be following!!


Question: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?


Answer: I’ve got to go with the first one that pops in my mind...and it’s an all time favorite....Makes me cry every time I read it!

Yesterday I Read....Abandon by Meg Cabot

Published: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Point

Pages: 304

Received: Checked out at the library

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

http://www.megcabot.com

Grades 7 and Up
Nominated For YALSA’s 2012 Teen Top Ten

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

....From Goodreads

My Review: 

My reading of Abandon was perfect timing! I finished it yesterday and the 2nd book in the series releases tomorrow! Though I do regret not having picked up this book last year! But now I don't have to wait!! How exciting!! I loved Abandon! 

Abandon is a retelling, with twists, of Persephone from Greek mythology. Not being familiar with Persephone and her kidnapping by Hades, reading Abandon whet my appetite to learn more. That's what I love about books that are retellings. They intrigue me and prompt me to delve into the classics! I did this same thing when Cabot wrote Avalon High, and when Rick Riordan came out with The Lightning Thief!

Pierce, who has had a NDE (near death experience), is trying to lead a normal life after the NDE. But what haunts her the most is what she saw, or experienced at the end of the tunnel, and it was no light. Now she must try to live a normal life, but it doesn't matter what she does, her life will never be normal again. Life can never be what it was because Pierce escaped the Underworld from someone who loves her, and others that will do anything to make sure that she won't live to love him back! 

For me, this was one of those books that I just couldn't put down!! It was a great mixture of everything I love! It had mystery, mythology, friendship, drama, love, and family. I know that Underworld, which releases May 8, will not disappoint!

Yesterday I Read....Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous

Release Date: August 21, 2012

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Pages: 240

Received: ARC from Henry Holt and Company

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

By Kathryn Williams

Grades 6 and Up

Sophie Nicolaides wants to be a chef, and being raised in a family of cooks that run a family restaurant is the perfect start. But to give her dreams a kick start, her best friend, Alex, convinces her to enter a competition to appear on Teen Test Kitchen, a new reality show where teens face off for the chance to win a scholarship to American's finest culinary school, and an internship with a famous chef. Sophie wins the chance to be on the show and makes her way to the finale while making new friends and deciding if Alex is more than a "friend," of if Luc, a student at the culinary school, will win her love. Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous....Hmmmm...I liked the book. It was a cute, fun, fluffy read. I also really like the title, but it doesn't really go with the book. There was pizza in the book, one time...so I didn't really get why that "made her famous." There was some love in the book, still not enough to make her famous....and there was other stuff in the book...but....well, anyway.....Just not sure about the title matching the book....but that didn't make me like the book less! I was attracted to this book because I love watching and following the reality cooking shows on Food Network....Williams did a good job at portraying what goes on behind the scenes of these shows! I thought parts of the book were weak. There were times when I was ready to really get in depth with what was going on with Sophie and the show and then it totally skips to the end of that "scene" and something else is going on. The ending was anti-climatic, and again, thought it could have been written more in depth. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It interested me, I liked the subject, and I really enjoyed the main character, Sophie. I also like the recipes that are posted through out the book!!

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Waiting on Wednesday....

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that are eagerly anticipated. This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection on What I Read Yesterday is:

Courtship & Curses (Leland Sisters #3)

Expected Release Date: August 7, 2012 Henry Holt and Co.

By: Marissa Doyle

Sophie’s entrance into London society isn’t what she thought it would be: Mama isn’t there to guide her, Papa is buried in his work fighting Napoleon, and Sophie’s newly acquired limp keeps her from dancing at any of those glittering balls. If it weren’t for her shopping escapades with her new French friend Amélie and a flirtation with the dashing Lord Woodbridge, she would think this season a complete disaster.

But when someone uses magic to attack Papa the night of Sophie’s first ball, her problems escalate, especially when it becomes clear that all the members of the War Cabinet are being targeted. Can she catch the culprit and keep her own magic powers hidden long enough to win herself a match?