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Aubrey Sadler is attending her sister's party when her sister Elizabeth get's arrested. Trouble is that Elizabeth is striving for an important future job and was planned to lead a group of elderly tourist on a trip to Europe, which she now can kiss goodbye to, which puts her future job in danger. The only solution is for Aubrey to take her place as a tour leader, pretending she is Elizabeth. Her parents know no better Aubrey is heading off to be counselor at a summer camp.
Something in Between by Melissa De La Cruz
Expected publication: September 27th 2016 by Harlequin Teen
When your country doesn't want you there, how do you know where you belong? Jasmine de los Santos has been pushed by her Filipino immigrant parents to over-achieve, be the best she can be, work as hard as she can at school and reach for the American Dream. She's thrilled to be named a finalist for the National Scholarship Award and prepares to go to Washington, D. C. to receive it. But when she brings home the paperwork, she learns that she and all her family are in the country illegally.
As Jasmine's world shatters around her, she rebels, trying to make sense of herself - who is she? Is she American? Illegal? Something in between? Jasmine decides to accept the award anyway and goes to D.C., where she meets Royyce Blakely, the handsome son of a Republican congressman. As she fights for her very identity, will Jasmine find help in unexpected places, and will she ever figure out where she belongs?
How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes
Expected publication: June 14th 2016 by HarperTeen
For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.The change was gradual. Stealthy.
Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope. Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?
My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill
Expected publication: October 11th 2016 by Delacorte
Sometimes love stories go off script.
Another sultry Georgia summer is about to get a lot hotter. Dee Wilkie is still licking her wounds after getting rejected by the precollege fine arts program of her dreams. But if she’d gone away, she wouldn’t have been around to say yes to an unbelievable opportunity: working on the set of a movie filming in her small Southern town that just happens to be starring Milo Ritter, the famous pop star Dee (along with the rest of the world) has had a crush since eighth grade.
It’s not like Dee will be sharing any screen time with Milo—she’s just a lowly PA. And Milo is so disappointingly rude that Dee is eager to stay far away from him. Except after a few chance meetings, she begins to wonder if just maybe there’s a reason for his offensive attitude, and if there’s more to Milo than his good looks and above-it-all Hollywood pedigree. Can a relationship with a guy like Milo ever work out for a girl like Dee? Never say never. . . .
In-between Days by Vikki Wakefield
Expected publication: August 30th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Seventeen-year-old Jacklin maneuvers her way through a summer of family drama and first—and second—loves in this gorgeous, lyrical novel from the author of Friday Never Leaving.
Sixteen-year-old Jacklin Bates (aka “Jack”) believes the only way to soar beyond her life is to drop out of school and move in with her free-spirited sister, Trudy. But Jack quickly discovers her sister isn’t the same person she used to be. And when Jack loses her job and the boy she loves breaks her heart, she becomes desperate for distractions.
She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Pope, a lost soul camping in the forest behind her house. And then there’s Jeremiah, the boy next door with a kind, listening ear and plenty of troubles of his own. Together, over an endless summer, Jack and Jeremiah fix up the abandoned drive-in theater at the edge of town. But even as a fragile romance builds between them, Jack knows deep down that she can’t stay in limbo forever.
When Jack faces losing Jeremiah, she searches for a way to repair their relationship—beginning with the other broken pieces in her life. Only, sometimes the hardest part of starting over isn’t choosing a path…it’s figuring out how to take that first step forward.
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Expected publication: July 26th 2016 by Point
What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?
While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?
Publisher: Disney
On Sale Date: May 3th 2016
Pages: 304
Age Range: Young Adult
Summer of Sloane begins at the park, when Sloane's best friend Mick tells her that she is sorry, sorry that she is pregnant and that she never meant to hurt Sloane. It seems that Mick and Sloane's best friend Tyler have betrayed her in a very bad way. The summer she was looking forward to is suddenly shattered, as is her heart. She moves to her mother and her twin brother Penn who live in Hawaii, for the summer.
During her stay in Hawaii she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate. Beaches, bonfires, surfboarding with Finn (thanks for her waterproof arm cast).Sloane hopes that Hawaii will be just the escape she needs, altough Tyler and Mick are bombing her with text messages with text that more or less blame Sloane for not answering them.
Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.
If you are looking for another perfect summer read, I think Summer of Sloane is a great choice. The story begins great, stays good all the way and has a great ending. I find it hard to begin what I liked most about it. It was not certain points but just the complete picture of the book altogether that made it great. I really liked the main character Sloane, and all the other side characters. The end was just a great wrapup of everything, and this book made me hungry for more books by this author!
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
On Sale Date: May 3th 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
(review contains spoilers)
In this sequel to City Love, Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna still are living together in the University of New York apartment as in the previous book, and the story picks up where the previous book stopped. Darcy is heartbroken because she found out that her boyfriend Austin was already married, so he betrayed her ánd his wife. Later on in the story, as she already decided to move on and forget him, she bumps into him at her internship, where he pleads to talk to her. Will she take him back or not? She also is involved in the Random Acts of Kindness movement, where she teams up to spread warm fuzzies all across New York, which was just awesome of her. She also tries to cope with the tragic accident at the subway that killed her unborn sister,
Darcy tries to help Sadie over her heartbreak. Altough she has her own boyfriend issues with Logan, he wants her back, and has come over to New York to see her again. They do fun things together, like taking a trapeze class to figure it out. And Darcy, who has no culinary skills, tries to impress him with a homecooked dinner. Will the love between them sparkle up again?
Rosanna goes to South Beach, Miami with her boyfriend D, and starts to work as a counselor at an Upper East Side day camp, where she tries to help a girl who seems to her has problems. The girl at camp reminds her of herself, when something very serious happened to her in her childhood. During the story, she finds out something about D, and it isn't very good..
Lost in Love is just an amazing and thrilling sequel to City Love!! I was so looking forward to read this sequel, and made a little happy dance when I found an ARC in the mail.
The love lifes and NYC adventures of the three main characters where again breathtaking, and perfect for every book lover who happens to love New York. I found the characters of Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna even more interesting then in the previous book. The author deepened out their characters, all of them undergo a certain difficulty to overcome, but the similarity between them is they are all finding out more about themselves which was just very interesting to read. This all set between the backdrop of the most exciting city in the world. The first book was already fabulous, but this second book just tops it!!
Unrivalled is the first in a thrilling new suspense trilogy following three very different teens who all find themselves with a VIP invite to the glamorous and gritty world of Los Angeles’s nightlife. They are lured into a high-stakes nightclub competition where Hollywood “It Girl” Madison Brooks is the target. But just as their wildest dreams begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing and all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies. With Unrivalled, Alyson Noël skilfully reveals the way our most desperate dreams can become our darkest nightmares.
“For a city that feeds off youth and beauty, Hollywood Boulevard more closely resembles a former screen siren who’s seen better days. The incessant sunshine is a harsh and brutal companion, intent on magnifying every wrinkle, every age spot. Yet for those who know where to look (and those fortunate enough to boast a spot on the guest list), it’s also serves as an oasis of the city’s hottest nightclubs—a sort of hedonistic haven for the young, fabulous, and rich. For Madison Brooks, the boulevard was everything she’d dreamed it would be.”
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
On Sale Date: April 26 2016
Pages: 368
Age Range: Young Adult
Summer Everett is spending the summer in two different worlds (everything is possible in fiction..). In one she experiences what she did when she stays at home in upstate New York. She is just about to go to her dad in France, when he cancels last minute because he has to go to Berlin for business. Instead of going to France, she stays home and her aunt Lydia advises her to take her photography summer classes. During the time home, she learns a secret about her dad that she hadn't a clue about, and her friendship with her best friend is going through a hard time.
In the other summer, she doesn't stay home but travels to her dad to France, altough she misses the call from her dad that he will not be their, so she is quite devastated when he isn't waiting for her at the gate. She travels to his house where she meets Vivienne and her daughter Eloise, who live in the house of her dad, as he explained many artist friends live there. This is a summer full of chocolate croissants, museums, French culture.
And in both summers, Summer meets new friends and experiences true summer romance!
As I am a big fan of Aimee Friedman's previous books, I was highly anticipating Two Summers. And my expectations where totally met! I didn't read the synopsis first, which I seldom two as I want a book to surprise me, so I didn't expect it to be two parallel summers. I though this parallel to summers worked great for this book, and where worked out very well. The question that is the red line in between the two summers is ''What if I did the one thing or the other?'' What if she stayed home and what if she went to France?
In both worlds she experiences a lot of fun and less fun things. I really liked the character of Summer, she was a girl you can just relate to. I liked all the unexpected things that happened that made both summers very interesting to read about.
Two Summers is a very entertaining YA novel that I highly recommend!
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
On Sale Date: March 29th 2016
Pages: 320
Age Range: Young Adult
Maddie Brooks is a teen girl who always loved theatre and old musical movies, especially Singin' In The Rain with the master himself, Gene Kelly. In the house next door, her new neighbors have moved in, including their son Jesse Morales and who is in her high school's baseball team too. They start carpooling, alltough Maddie is not a sports girl, she falls for Jesse's kindness and good looks. Soon Maddie finds out that Jessie was not raised as a sports guy, but was raised as a dancer, and practices his tapdancing skills in the local community theater, where Maddie can be found a lot for acting in a play.
What You Always Wanted is a nice YA novel for everyone who loves theater. The story was full of fun and I liked the characters. They where a bit one dimensional, but because all the fun and romance, this was just a little side thing. I recognized a lot in Maddie, as I followed tapclasses and musical theater class as a teen. So this was very recognizable and well worked out by the author. I did found the story too long at some points, with made the story slower then needed. Some scenes didn't add much to the story, so I hope the finished book will be the faster updated version.
Anyhow, beside that I thought this was a very nice read, and a nice new addition to the already very good If Only series!
Publisher: Simon Pulse
On Sale Date: May 3rd 2016
Pages: 390
Age Range: Young Adult
Lina is in the midst of the most difficult time of her teenage life. Her mother has been suffering from cancer and is passing away. Her mother gives her one advice she has to follow up: Lina must promise that she will travel to Tuscany, Italy, to meet Howard. Who Howard is she doesn't make exactly clear, but he is someone from her past when she lived in Italy. Soon enough Lina finds out that Howard (might be) her biological father who she never knew. Howard is lives at a historical cemetry with his wife. Lina is given an old diary of her mom. In this diary, her mom writes about her time in Italy, just after she decided to tell her parents to cancel nurse school and that she applied to an Italian arts school to study photography. There she met Howard, but also an other man from who she included a picture in her diary. When Lina reads this she is schocked, because the man on the picture resembles her.Together with her friend Ren, who she met in Italy and goes to her International School, she tries to find out if he is her real dad. And along the way a lot of romance with Ren and ofcourse many gelatos.
I had high expectations of Love & Gelato because the very positive buzz around this book. And it was totally met. I liked it even more than I expected I would! The story was very well written and everything was just so believable and well set. The characters are just right: Lina was very believable and she is also very likeable, she could just be you or someone you know. You can just identify with Lina easily. The storyline was just breathtaking. Tragedy when Lina's mom passes away and effect this has on Lina's life after that, starting over again when she lands in Italy, meeting new family and friends, romance and all set behind the beautiful backdrop of Italy. This book brings back memories of when I was on holiday there, you can just read between the lines the author know Tuscany well as she brings it to life in this story. This book is entertaining from the first to the last page, and I highly recommend reading it!
Publisher: Poppy
On Sale Date: April 5th 2016
Pages: 320
Age Range: Young Adul
It's senior year for Jules and so far everything goes as planned, as she is the editor of the school newspaper, something she truly wanted to achieves as she wants to major in journalism in college.Everything goes well until Alex, a former famous band member walks into her high school, and into her life, and half of the school newspaper staff walks of to TALON, the school's new TV announcement program, which turns into a battle between the two sides.Just when things could not get worse, there is a romance to worry about, impressing her teachers for good letters of recommendation, and friendship-related issues that she needs to keep in mind in order to save her friendship with her best friend...
This was an okay, nice read. I didn't found it the most original one though, and I could totally see what was coming next. But beside that, it put a smile on my face when I was reading it, as the romance part was very cute. The battle going on between the newspaper and TALON, with people walking over and cheating was a little childish at some points, if Jules is so commited to make it to Brown university, this was a little odd.
But further on, it is a nice escape read for a few hours, nothing groundbreaking, but just cute.
Ah, sneak peeks. They can make you so curious for a movie or a book. And this one certainly made me want to read the full book.
In the Sneak Peek of Summerlost by Ally Condie, we meet Cedar, who lost her father and younger brother recently because they got in a car accident. This is the first summer without them. Cedar and her mother and other brother are moving into their summer house, and pick the rooms of their choice, who all of them have a specific color.
What the most strange thing is though, is that she sees a young boy riding on his bike. That's not the strange thing ofcourse, but he seems like coming out of a history book, because of the clothes he is wearing, she sees him almost every day biking by. This is what made me curious for this book, who is this boy and why can Cedar see him, is he real or a vision?
For the short part I've read, I enjoyed it. The characters where interesting and I want to know what happens next. I hope to get myself a copy soon so I can find out! Can't wait!
I
Publisher: Delacorte Press
On Sale Date: April 5th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN (9780399552939)
Available in the Netherlands at:
The American Book Center
Bol.com
After her mother passed away two years earlier, Jessie and her dad move from Chicago to Los Angeles. Her dad has a new partner, Rachel, who he met online, and a new stepbrother, Theo, who gives Jessie the silent treatment for no reason. Jessie is not happy in Los Angeles and feels lost, as she finds out, the people in L.A. are quite fake and obnoxious. She is not that kind of girl, and feels like everything about her is out of place in her new high school. But then in the first weeks, she gets a mysterious email from someone (obviously a guy) who calls himself Somebody Nobody. He wants to know her better, that's why he is emailing her, and wants to help her find her way in Wood Valley High School. At firsthand she doesn't know what to think of it, is it a hoax, someone just making fun of her behind her back?
But slowly Somebody Nobody proves he is someone she can trust, which comes right in time as Jessie misses her life back in Chicago, especially her best friend Scarlett, which she IM's a lot. She get's a job in the local bookstore, which is run by the mom of Liam, who is a guy from her school. She also is paired up in chemistry with Ethan, a moody, weird guy who obviously doesn't get much sleep and wears only Batman shirts. She also has to deal with the mean two girls in her class, especially Gem, who made it her personal goal to bully Jessie, because she claims Liam is her boyfriend. But luckily she also find real friends to, as her classmate Dri is somewhat similar in character as Scarlett. Jessie finds herself chatting with SN more and more, but what happens when they finally will meet in real life? What if it is someone she knows but doesn't like at all?
Tell Me Three Things is such a brilliant and outstanding YA novel, I found it hard to pick where to start with my thoughts about it, just do to the story right and underline how awesome it is.
Jessie was such a brilliant and well crafter character, hats of to the author! As a reader you can so relate to all her pain and sorrow because of her mom's passing, her move away from her friend in Chicago, her father who ignores her feelings and feeling out of place in her life. But you also see her growing because of SN, Dri and Ethan, who see the true Jessie shining through. The story has depth and many layers, fantastic plot twists ( especially at the end) and much more. I could go on and on but just pick up a copy at the bookstore and read it. Highly recommend it!
Today on my blog I am pleased to reveal the cover of the new YA novel You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross and Mark Perini, which will be out in bookstores from August 2nd, 2016 by Sourcebooks.
Publisher: Harper Teen
On Sale Date: April 16th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
What happens when the guy of your dreams suddenly walks into your life for real? It happens to Alice. Since she can remember she dreams of a boy, Max. When she walks into her new class, there he is! Max in real life!
But sooner then she can say his Name, she finds out that the real Max is totally a different guy than the dream Max. And becoming friends with him is even as hard. She discovers thoug that Max dreamed of her too. Their dreams start to mix more and more with their daily lives, which they grew pretty tired off. They must find out a way to stop the dreams, but how?
Dreamology is an okay read, but don't expect too much of it. What I liked most was the first half of the story. That part was the most interesting and I was curious for what would happen with her and Max. But then it started to get confusing, with a strange therapist who was supposed to help Alice and Max get rid of the dreams, but then he seems not capable of it anyway and then...? I found it hard to finish the last part, mainly because it lacked a direction and point and I just could't make much sense of what was happening.
Shortly said, I liked this book less than I hoped, and therefore I do not recommend it highly.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
On Sale Date:March 29th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
Cecilia Montgomery is the daughter of an important Boston senator, her mother. Because of her mother's political career, Cecilia is used to being in the spotlight, she hates that last part, ánd the way her mother treats/owns her like she is some kind of dictator, and most of her childhood was spent hidden away at an exclusive boarding school One day she is so tired of it all that she just escapes. At one moment when her security guards have a weak moment, she sneaks away.
She escapes to become another new person: Lia Washington. In the little town of Sweetbriar, Tennessee, where she escapes to, she makes new friends. Fiona and Jasper, but she also meets Shelby, who has her eyes on Jasper, and because Jasper seems to like Lia she is kind of a threat to Lia. It's here and with them that her life takes the shape that she wants for herself, including a new job, but she constantly is worrying to be found out, as the media nationwide is front-covering the missing of Cecilia with picture. No one suspects anything, but as she suspects, her mother doesn't rest till she got Cecilia back in her claws, locked up again in a tower...
For the most part, I enjoyed reading it. The beginning of the book was good, well written and it made me curious for what would come next. The part where she was living as Lia Washington in Sweetbriar was also fun, as a reader you worry with Cecilia that someone starts to suspect something, but the author just made clear that someone of her friends did actually in the end. Speaking of the end: now this was the most unsatisfying cliffhanger ending I have read in a long time. I was a little stunned as the story was over WAY to sudden. That was something that really put this further amazing read down. I also was looking if there would be sequel (not found) or this is the first part of a series (also not found) that would possibly explain why the ending was like this.
So it is because of how it ended that I give this book three stars instead of four. Further on the characters were well created, it was well written, but I just want to know more about what happened to Cecilia in the end..
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
On Sale Date:June 28th 2016
Pages: 208
Age Range:Middle Grade
September 11 started for everyone like a normal, sunny day, until a plane hit the World Trade Center. The story of Nine, Ten starts a few days earlier. Four kids in different parts of the USA are going on about their lives. Sergio lives at his grandmother's house as his parents are out of the picture. One day his father shows up as Sergio has won a price in school with a contest, claiming he has the right to it too. Sergio runs away from home, and accidentally becomes a hero.Will is living with his mom in Shanksville. His father was killed in a car accident while he was trying to help somebody else, they are still trying to cope with this tragic loss.Nadira is muslim, and she has never had a problem with that, but at school, kids start to act weird because she wears a headscarf. Amy is sad because her mother has to leave again for work to New York, and she has to go to a new school.
And then it happens. Nadira is at school when a teacher points to the burning tower that was hit first. Will is with a friend playing outside on their bikes when he sees flight 93 flying low and out of control over the town. Amy's mother was planned to be at a meeting at the World Trade Center, but at the last minute, doesn't go because Amy tells her on the phone she misses her so much, and they just talk. And this saves her mother's life.
All the kids are at the memorial a year later, they never know each other but the author has written it in such a beautiful way that as a reader you really get to know the characters. It was just very moving to read about them, all of them where great in their own way. All of them were little heroes in their own lifes.
Altough this is a story about 9/11, it is never too heavy and certainly not for the age it is aimed at, middle grade readers. It is just a captivating read and I think young and older readers will certainly like this moving book!
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
On Sale Date:February 23rd 2016
Pages: 240
Age Range: Young Adult
The Smell of Other People's Houses is a book that alternates in chapters between different teen characters and set in Alaska in 1970. All of them needed to win their personal battles, they were basically trying to make it through life.Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.
I was attracted to this book by the cover (which I think really looks cozy) and the synopsis. Somehow I found it hard to get into the story and to stay interested. The book didn't have just one plot, it was more like little plots of the different characters together, and at a few points the life of the character's. I didn't though the characters where very interesting till the end of the book. They all deal with their own little problems, but somehow it just didn't move me as a reader.
Publisher: HarperTeen
On Sale Date: March 1st 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
(review can contain spoilers)
It's Middie Daniel's senior year at high school. Her best friend Haley reminds her almost every day that it is the last time of something specificly related to high school that they are doing. After high school, everyone is leaving for college. Middie's boyfriend Nate is going away to do a year of volunteering in Honduras. When he comes back, Middie will leave with him for the same college they both will study at. But then the village where Nate is volunteering is attacked by rebels, and among many other people, Nate goes missing. At home, they assume he didn't make it, altough his mom travels to Honduras on a search for him.
Middie is devastated without Nate. With is best friend Lee she tries to cope with this horrible loss. Middie and Nate never liked each other when Nate was still alive, but now he's gone they bond because of his death and support each other to cope with it. Slowly they start to like each other as more then just friends, untill Middie get's a text from Nate's mother that Nate is found and is coming home with her...
The Leaving Season is a YA novel that I absolutely enjoyed reading! It was well written and altough it had a few weak spots here and there, I liked the plot. What I absolutely loved was the unexpected text from Nate's mother with the good news. I was hoping for something like that to happen in the book and it did! What I liked less was how Middie 'broke'' with both Nate and Lee in the end. That was something I truly didn't expect. Without any further ado, I thought this was a good and very entertaining new read which I definately recommend!
Green Island is a story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan in the twentieth century.
February 28, 1947—Trapped inside the family home amidst an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island. In the following weeks, as the Chinese Nationalists act to crush the opposition, Dr. Tsai becomes one of the many thousands of people dragged away from their families and into prison. His return, after more than a decade, is marked by alienation from his loved ones and paranoia among his community—conflicts that loom over the growing bond he forms with his youngest daughter. Years later, this troubled past follows her to the United States, where, as a mother and a wife, she too is forced to decide between right and what might save her family–the same choice she witnessed her father make many years before.
In a story that sweeps across six decades and two continents, Green Island traces the course of Taiwan's history, from the end of Japanese colonial rule, to the decades under martial law, and finally to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. This lush, lyrical novel depicts a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: How far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Expected On Sale Date: April 2016
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Fiction
1830: Jamie Pyke is a half white. half black boy who is a son of a slave and her white slave master. He gets the chance to become an apprentice at the story and workshop of a local silversmith, where he is taken in by the owners as their own son. He slowly works his way up in the Philadelphia society, and becomes loved and well known for his craftmanship. No one knows Jamie's (who know is called James) secret of being a mulatto, which was unheard of during the time the story is set in.
Publisher: HarperTeen
On Sale Date: February 16th 2016
Pages: 256
Age Range: Young Adult
After their parents’ divorce, Jan, Erika, and Melanie have to get used to the new world order: a father who’s moved to another continent and a mother who throws herself into moving on. Jan, off at her first semester of college, has plenty to worry about, including an outspoken roommate who’s kind of “out there” and an increasingly depressed and troubled long-distance boyfriend. Her younger sisters, left at home in New York City, and dealing with all the pressures of life in high school, aren’t exactly close. Erika is serious and feels awkward and uncomfortable in crowds, though her beauty tends to attract attention. Melanie is socially savvy and just wants to go out—to concerts, to parties, wherever—with her friends. The gap between all three girls widens as each day passes.
Then, at a party full of blurred lines and blurred memories, everything changes. Starting that night, where there should be words, there is only angry, scared silence.And in the aftermath, Jan, Erika, and Melanie will have to work hard to reconnect and help one another heal.
The Word For Yes is a quiet and nicely written YA novel. The plot hasn't much strength and depth, but the way its is written in makes up for a lot of that. Beside that the story picks up an important topic: in the story, Melanie is raped at a party, and this is the red line during the rest of the story, and how important it is to seek help afterwards. I really liked the characters, the three sisters are just the average teen girls, who also have to deal with their parent's divorce. What I also liked was just how the reader get's to follow the girls in different events. It is a short read, not the most thrilling, but overall I enjoyed reading it and recommend it!
Publisher: William Morrow, HarperCollins
Release Date: February 9th 2016
Pages: 400
The Ramblers tells the story of three New Yorkers, who are connected through family and friendship; Clio Marsh, Clio's best friend Smith Anderson and Tate Pennington.
Clio is a bird watcher who leads bird-watching tours through Central Park, and is on the brink of taking serious steps in a beginning relationship with Henry. During the story we also get to meet her father, and the two look back on the pas and Clio's not so happy childhood.
Smith is the daughter of one of the most wealthy families of New York. She is a life coach and just getting over a bad breakup, just weeks before they where going to be married, her boyfriend Asad left her.
Tate is a Yale graduate, just like Clio and Smith, who is left by his wife Olivia and therefore has returned to New York City. Living on his own is new for him, meets a woman who he knows from his college days, she sparkles an interest in him, and maybe she is just the thing he was looking for.
The Ramblers is nice story I had mixed feelings about. I didn't dislike it but it also didn't blew me away. The story didn't have a real plot with a beginning and and end, It was more a telling of the lives of the tree main characters and what happened in the past and present in their lives. The characters where enyoyable to read about. The author created a nice connection between the three. I liked how the author has set it in New York City, which was a foruth character in the book and a loveletter to the city. As a reader you can just see Clio leading a tour through Central Park and hear the birds.
Overall an enjoyable read, not the most strong plot, but worth reading.
Publisher: William Morrow, HarperCollins
Release Date: February 2nd 2016
Pages: 400
Series:Series: Mediator book 7
In this 7th installment of the Mediator series, mediator Suzannah Simon has to deal with many things. First there is her new job at her old school as a guidance counselor, besides being engaged to Dr. Jesse Da Silva. She finds out that real estate magnate and old fling of her, Paul Slater wants to demolish her childhood home, something she isn't that happy about. And then she has to deal with the ghost of a little girl who had an tragic accident when she fell of her horse years ago. The ghost almost kills Suze, so on firsthand she thinks this is an evil ghost, but during the storyline of the book, she finds out the history of this girl and her sister, and why this girl can't move on to the next world, and she discovers that the girl didn't have an accident, but was murdered.Time for Suze to unravel the truth and bring the murderer to justice!
It is quite a while ago that I read the 5th book in the Mediator series, and I missed out on the in-between novel The Proposal, so I had to dig a little in my memory to remember the characters of it. This book was a little harder to read as a standalone as the author let's Suze reference to things happened in the previous book(s), as for example with Paul Slater and Jesse, where some points where a little lost on me.
Now for the storyline and plot: the idea for the plot was good. But the sharpness and tension got lost in chatter, way too much chatter from Suze. It slowed down the story and made it go nowhere on many points. It would have been a much more exciting if the scary ghost of the girl was more deepened out. Therefore I was a bit dissapointed in this book, it didn't had the high speed, excitement and sparkle of Meg Cabot's other books. I also wasn't sure in the beginning if the book is aimed to a middle grade/young adult or to an adult audience, I can now say it is definately the last one, as there are some scenes in this book that are certainly not suitable for younger readers.
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By: MarjoleinBookBlog,
on 6/28/2016
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By: New York Beauty,
on 5/22/2016
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Publisher: HarperTeen
On Sale Date: May 31th 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
On Sale Date: May 31th 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
Aubrey travels to the start point of the tour: Amsterdam! But...when she lands at Amsterdam airport and leaves the plane, she forgets to take her tour schedule binder and cell phone there, so she is missing crucial information for the tour.
She is supported by phone though by the company owner's son, a very nice guy named Sam. Funny thing is that Sams joins the tour on one of the stops after Amsterdam, and is quite a cool guy either. The people on the tour make a colorful cast of characters as well: a bit weird couple from Texas, a history teacher who helps Aubrey with historic information about specific castles in Germany. All the way through Europe, she is keeping up appearrance and pretending she is Elizabeth, but slowly, little bursts starts to appear and someone from the tour even confess he knows what she is doing. And then someone from the tour is found dead, and the friendship (or is it something else) between her and Sam is tested when she confesses the truth to him.
I was looking for a book to read that didn't make me stop reading after the first pages. I picked up Wanderlost, as I have read other titles by Jen Malone before, and found exactly what I was looking for. A GREAT READ! From the first page on to the great ending, this book had me hooked. The plot is just fantastic. I may repeat myself again, but books with many plot twists and turns and a great cast of characters in a great backdrop setting like this are always my favorites. It was like watching a funny play where someone is hiding a secret by pretending she is her sister. You can feel on your socks of course that this is not going well until the end(especially when one traveler is found dead and she has to get involved with the American embassy) but in Aubrey's case, because she is such a good hearted and nice character, she learns from it and discovers more about her self during her trip to Europe, away from her safe room in Ohio. The love story between her and Sam (he is so cool!) was very entertaining. I will not include to many spoilers about this though, go find out and read it for yourself! I truly enjoyed this gem of a YA novel and highly recommend it!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 5/17/2016
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Books to pine for is a new frequently returning feature on Marjolein Reads with upcoming titles that are worth waiting for. This edition I will feature YA titles that will be published later on in 2016:
Everyone We've Been by Sarah Everett
Expected publication: October 4th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Addison Sullivan has been in an accident. In its aftermath, she has memory lapses and starts talking to a boy that no
one else can see. It gets so bad that she’s worried she’s going crazy. Addie takes drastic measures to fill in the blanks and visits a shadowy medical facility that promises to “help with your memory.” But at the clinic, Addie unwittingly discovers it is not her first visit. And when she presses, she finds out that she had certain memories erased. She had a boy erased.
But why? Who was that boy, and what happened that was too devastating to live with? And even if she gets the answers she’s looking for, will she ever be able to feel like a whole person again?
Expected publication: September 27th 2016 by Harlequin Teen
When your country doesn't want you there, how do you know where you belong? Jasmine de los Santos has been pushed by her Filipino immigrant parents to over-achieve, be the best she can be, work as hard as she can at school and reach for the American Dream. She's thrilled to be named a finalist for the National Scholarship Award and prepares to go to Washington, D. C. to receive it. But when she brings home the paperwork, she learns that she and all her family are in the country illegally.
As Jasmine's world shatters around her, she rebels, trying to make sense of herself - who is she? Is she American? Illegal? Something in between? Jasmine decides to accept the award anyway and goes to D.C., where she meets Royyce Blakely, the handsome son of a Republican congressman. As she fights for her very identity, will Jasmine find help in unexpected places, and will she ever figure out where she belongs?
Expected publication: June 14th 2016 by HarperTeen
For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.The change was gradual. Stealthy.
Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope. Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?
Expected publication: October 11th 2016 by Delacorte
Sometimes love stories go off script.
Another sultry Georgia summer is about to get a lot hotter. Dee Wilkie is still licking her wounds after getting rejected by the precollege fine arts program of her dreams. But if she’d gone away, she wouldn’t have been around to say yes to an unbelievable opportunity: working on the set of a movie filming in her small Southern town that just happens to be starring Milo Ritter, the famous pop star Dee (along with the rest of the world) has had a crush since eighth grade.
It’s not like Dee will be sharing any screen time with Milo—she’s just a lowly PA. And Milo is so disappointingly rude that Dee is eager to stay far away from him. Except after a few chance meetings, she begins to wonder if just maybe there’s a reason for his offensive attitude, and if there’s more to Milo than his good looks and above-it-all Hollywood pedigree. Can a relationship with a guy like Milo ever work out for a girl like Dee? Never say never. . . .
Expected publication: August 30th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Seventeen-year-old Jacklin maneuvers her way through a summer of family drama and first—and second—loves in this gorgeous, lyrical novel from the author of Friday Never Leaving.
Sixteen-year-old Jacklin Bates (aka “Jack”) believes the only way to soar beyond her life is to drop out of school and move in with her free-spirited sister, Trudy. But Jack quickly discovers her sister isn’t the same person she used to be. And when Jack loses her job and the boy she loves breaks her heart, she becomes desperate for distractions.
She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Pope, a lost soul camping in the forest behind her house. And then there’s Jeremiah, the boy next door with a kind, listening ear and plenty of troubles of his own. Together, over an endless summer, Jack and Jeremiah fix up the abandoned drive-in theater at the edge of town. But even as a fragile romance builds between them, Jack knows deep down that she can’t stay in limbo forever.
When Jack faces losing Jeremiah, she searches for a way to repair their relationship—beginning with the other broken pieces in her life. Only, sometimes the hardest part of starting over isn’t choosing a path…it’s figuring out how to take that first step forward.
Expected publication: July 26th 2016 by Point
What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?
While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?
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By: New York Beauty,
on 5/15/2016
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On Sale Date: May 3th 2016
Pages: 304
Age Range: Young Adult
Summer of Sloane begins at the park, when Sloane's best friend Mick tells her that she is sorry, sorry that she is pregnant and that she never meant to hurt Sloane. It seems that Mick and Sloane's best friend Tyler have betrayed her in a very bad way. The summer she was looking forward to is suddenly shattered, as is her heart. She moves to her mother and her twin brother Penn who live in Hawaii, for the summer.
During her stay in Hawaii she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate. Beaches, bonfires, surfboarding with Finn (thanks for her waterproof arm cast).Sloane hopes that Hawaii will be just the escape she needs, altough Tyler and Mick are bombing her with text messages with text that more or less blame Sloane for not answering them.
Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.
If you are looking for another perfect summer read, I think Summer of Sloane is a great choice. The story begins great, stays good all the way and has a great ending. I find it hard to begin what I liked most about it. It was not certain points but just the complete picture of the book altogether that made it great. I really liked the main character Sloane, and all the other side characters. The end was just a great wrapup of everything, and this book made me hungry for more books by this author!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 5/2/2016
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On Sale Date: May 3th 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
(review contains spoilers)
In this sequel to City Love, Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna still are living together in the University of New York apartment as in the previous book, and the story picks up where the previous book stopped. Darcy is heartbroken because she found out that her boyfriend Austin was already married, so he betrayed her ánd his wife. Later on in the story, as she already decided to move on and forget him, she bumps into him at her internship, where he pleads to talk to her. Will she take him back or not? She also is involved in the Random Acts of Kindness movement, where she teams up to spread warm fuzzies all across New York, which was just awesome of her. She also tries to cope with the tragic accident at the subway that killed her unborn sister,
Darcy tries to help Sadie over her heartbreak. Altough she has her own boyfriend issues with Logan, he wants her back, and has come over to New York to see her again. They do fun things together, like taking a trapeze class to figure it out. And Darcy, who has no culinary skills, tries to impress him with a homecooked dinner. Will the love between them sparkle up again?
Rosanna goes to South Beach, Miami with her boyfriend D, and starts to work as a counselor at an Upper East Side day camp, where she tries to help a girl who seems to her has problems. The girl at camp reminds her of herself, when something very serious happened to her in her childhood. During the story, she finds out something about D, and it isn't very good..
Lost in Love is just an amazing and thrilling sequel to City Love!! I was so looking forward to read this sequel, and made a little happy dance when I found an ARC in the mail.
The love lifes and NYC adventures of the three main characters where again breathtaking, and perfect for every book lover who happens to love New York. I found the characters of Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna even more interesting then in the previous book. The author deepened out their characters, all of them undergo a certain difficulty to overcome, but the similarity between them is they are all finding out more about themselves which was just very interesting to read. This all set between the backdrop of the most exciting city in the world. The first book was already fabulous, but this second book just tops it!!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/29/2016
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“For a city that feeds off youth and beauty, Hollywood Boulevard more closely resembles a former screen siren who’s seen better days. The incessant sunshine is a harsh and brutal companion, intent on magnifying every wrinkle, every age spot. Yet for those who know where to look (and those fortunate enough to boast a spot on the guest list), it’s also serves as an oasis of the city’s hottest nightclubs—a sort of hedonistic haven for the young, fabulous, and rich. For Madison Brooks, the boulevard was everything she’d dreamed it would be.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Number One New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël has won numerous awards and achieved international bestseller status for her wildly popular young adult series, The Immortals andThe Soul Seekers, and her middle grade series, Riley Bloom. Alyson Noël is an established global phenomenon with books printed in 36 languages and sold in over 50 countries. Now she is taking on the seductive world of L.A. nightlife in a new series using what she knows best: steamy romance and high-stakes Hollywood competition.
Number One New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël has won numerous awards and achieved international bestseller status for her wildly popular young adult series, The Immortals andThe Soul Seekers, and her middle grade series, Riley Bloom. Alyson Noël is an established global phenomenon with books printed in 36 languages and sold in over 50 countries. Now she is taking on the seductive world of L.A. nightlife in a new series using what she knows best: steamy romance and high-stakes Hollywood competition.
Alyson Noël is the bestselling author of twenty-three novels, includingThe Immortals, Riley Bloom, and Soul Seekers series. With millions of copies in print, her books have been translated in thirty-six languages and have made numerous international bestseller lists. Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan, and is now settled back in Southern California, where she’s working on her next book. You can visit her online at www.alysonnoel.com
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/27/2016
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On Sale Date: April 26 2016
Pages: 368
Age Range: Young Adult
Summer Everett is spending the summer in two different worlds (everything is possible in fiction..). In one she experiences what she did when she stays at home in upstate New York. She is just about to go to her dad in France, when he cancels last minute because he has to go to Berlin for business. Instead of going to France, she stays home and her aunt Lydia advises her to take her photography summer classes. During the time home, she learns a secret about her dad that she hadn't a clue about, and her friendship with her best friend is going through a hard time.
In the other summer, she doesn't stay home but travels to her dad to France, altough she misses the call from her dad that he will not be their, so she is quite devastated when he isn't waiting for her at the gate. She travels to his house where she meets Vivienne and her daughter Eloise, who live in the house of her dad, as he explained many artist friends live there. This is a summer full of chocolate croissants, museums, French culture.
And in both summers, Summer meets new friends and experiences true summer romance!
As I am a big fan of Aimee Friedman's previous books, I was highly anticipating Two Summers. And my expectations where totally met! I didn't read the synopsis first, which I seldom two as I want a book to surprise me, so I didn't expect it to be two parallel summers. I though this parallel to summers worked great for this book, and where worked out very well. The question that is the red line in between the two summers is ''What if I did the one thing or the other?'' What if she stayed home and what if she went to France?
In both worlds she experiences a lot of fun and less fun things. I really liked the character of Summer, she was a girl you can just relate to. I liked all the unexpected things that happened that made both summers very interesting to read about.
Two Summers is a very entertaining YA novel that I highly recommend!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/23/2016
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On Sale Date: March 29th 2016
Pages: 320
Age Range: Young Adult
Maddie Brooks is a teen girl who always loved theatre and old musical movies, especially Singin' In The Rain with the master himself, Gene Kelly. In the house next door, her new neighbors have moved in, including their son Jesse Morales and who is in her high school's baseball team too. They start carpooling, alltough Maddie is not a sports girl, she falls for Jesse's kindness and good looks. Soon Maddie finds out that Jessie was not raised as a sports guy, but was raised as a dancer, and practices his tapdancing skills in the local community theater, where Maddie can be found a lot for acting in a play.
What You Always Wanted is a nice YA novel for everyone who loves theater. The story was full of fun and I liked the characters. They where a bit one dimensional, but because all the fun and romance, this was just a little side thing. I recognized a lot in Maddie, as I followed tapclasses and musical theater class as a teen. So this was very recognizable and well worked out by the author. I did found the story too long at some points, with made the story slower then needed. Some scenes didn't add much to the story, so I hope the finished book will be the faster updated version.
Anyhow, beside that I thought this was a very nice read, and a nice new addition to the already very good If Only series!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/18/2016
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Welcome to another Mailbox Monday. A frequent returning post with the books I received/bought the past period. The last few weeks I am getting back in the mood for reading after my house move, and my reading pace is also coming back, yay! It was very exciting also to recieve the following books in the mail!
For review:
Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
Lost in Love by Susane Colasanti
A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel
Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel
House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick
Two Summers by Aimee Friedman (e-galley)
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (e-galley)
At the moment I am reading Run by Kody Keplinger, so far the first part was exciting and thrilling!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/15/2016
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On Sale Date: May 3rd 2016
Pages: 390
Age Range: Young Adult
Lina is in the midst of the most difficult time of her teenage life. Her mother has been suffering from cancer and is passing away. Her mother gives her one advice she has to follow up: Lina must promise that she will travel to Tuscany, Italy, to meet Howard. Who Howard is she doesn't make exactly clear, but he is someone from her past when she lived in Italy. Soon enough Lina finds out that Howard (might be) her biological father who she never knew. Howard is lives at a historical cemetry with his wife. Lina is given an old diary of her mom. In this diary, her mom writes about her time in Italy, just after she decided to tell her parents to cancel nurse school and that she applied to an Italian arts school to study photography. There she met Howard, but also an other man from who she included a picture in her diary. When Lina reads this she is schocked, because the man on the picture resembles her.Together with her friend Ren, who she met in Italy and goes to her International School, she tries to find out if he is her real dad. And along the way a lot of romance with Ren and ofcourse many gelatos.
I had high expectations of Love & Gelato because the very positive buzz around this book. And it was totally met. I liked it even more than I expected I would! The story was very well written and everything was just so believable and well set. The characters are just right: Lina was very believable and she is also very likeable, she could just be you or someone you know. You can just identify with Lina easily. The storyline was just breathtaking. Tragedy when Lina's mom passes away and effect this has on Lina's life after that, starting over again when she lands in Italy, meeting new family and friends, romance and all set behind the beautiful backdrop of Italy. This book brings back memories of when I was on holiday there, you can just read between the lines the author know Tuscany well as she brings it to life in this story. This book is entertaining from the first to the last page, and I highly recommend reading it!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/10/2016
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On Sale Date: April 5th 2016
Pages: 320
Age Range: Young Adul
It's senior year for Jules and so far everything goes as planned, as she is the editor of the school newspaper, something she truly wanted to achieves as she wants to major in journalism in college.Everything goes well until Alex, a former famous band member walks into her high school, and into her life, and half of the school newspaper staff walks of to TALON, the school's new TV announcement program, which turns into a battle between the two sides.Just when things could not get worse, there is a romance to worry about, impressing her teachers for good letters of recommendation, and friendship-related issues that she needs to keep in mind in order to save her friendship with her best friend...
This was an okay, nice read. I didn't found it the most original one though, and I could totally see what was coming next. But beside that, it put a smile on my face when I was reading it, as the romance part was very cute. The battle going on between the newspaper and TALON, with people walking over and cheating was a little childish at some points, if Jules is so commited to make it to Brown university, this was a little odd.
But further on, it is a nice escape read for a few hours, nothing groundbreaking, but just cute.
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/6/2016
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In the Sneak Peek of Summerlost by Ally Condie, we meet Cedar, who lost her father and younger brother recently because they got in a car accident. This is the first summer without them. Cedar and her mother and other brother are moving into their summer house, and pick the rooms of their choice, who all of them have a specific color.
What the most strange thing is though, is that she sees a young boy riding on his bike. That's not the strange thing ofcourse, but he seems like coming out of a history book, because of the clothes he is wearing, she sees him almost every day biking by. This is what made me curious for this book, who is this boy and why can Cedar see him, is he real or a vision?
For the short part I've read, I enjoyed it. The characters where interesting and I want to know what happens next. I hope to get myself a copy soon so I can find out! Can't wait!
I
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/4/2016
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On Sale Date: April 5th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN (9780399552939)
Available in the Netherlands at:
The American Book Center
Bol.com
After her mother passed away two years earlier, Jessie and her dad move from Chicago to Los Angeles. Her dad has a new partner, Rachel, who he met online, and a new stepbrother, Theo, who gives Jessie the silent treatment for no reason. Jessie is not happy in Los Angeles and feels lost, as she finds out, the people in L.A. are quite fake and obnoxious. She is not that kind of girl, and feels like everything about her is out of place in her new high school. But then in the first weeks, she gets a mysterious email from someone (obviously a guy) who calls himself Somebody Nobody. He wants to know her better, that's why he is emailing her, and wants to help her find her way in Wood Valley High School. At firsthand she doesn't know what to think of it, is it a hoax, someone just making fun of her behind her back?
But slowly Somebody Nobody proves he is someone she can trust, which comes right in time as Jessie misses her life back in Chicago, especially her best friend Scarlett, which she IM's a lot. She get's a job in the local bookstore, which is run by the mom of Liam, who is a guy from her school. She also is paired up in chemistry with Ethan, a moody, weird guy who obviously doesn't get much sleep and wears only Batman shirts. She also has to deal with the mean two girls in her class, especially Gem, who made it her personal goal to bully Jessie, because she claims Liam is her boyfriend. But luckily she also find real friends to, as her classmate Dri is somewhat similar in character as Scarlett. Jessie finds herself chatting with SN more and more, but what happens when they finally will meet in real life? What if it is someone she knows but doesn't like at all?
Tell Me Three Things is such a brilliant and outstanding YA novel, I found it hard to pick where to start with my thoughts about it, just do to the story right and underline how awesome it is.
Jessie was such a brilliant and well crafter character, hats of to the author! As a reader you can so relate to all her pain and sorrow because of her mom's passing, her move away from her friend in Chicago, her father who ignores her feelings and feeling out of place in her life. But you also see her growing because of SN, Dri and Ethan, who see the true Jessie shining through. The story has depth and many layers, fantastic plot twists ( especially at the end) and much more. I could go on and on but just pick up a copy at the bookstore and read it. Highly recommend it!
The other dates and blogs in the international blog tour of Tell Me Three Things Are:
| The Nocturnal Library | 4/6/2016 | ||
| http://desiresandmishaps. | 4/7/2016 | ||
| http://www. | 4/8/2016 | ||
| beatricelearnstoread. | 4/9/2016 | ||
| The Lifelong Bookworm | 4/10/2016 | ||
| Musings of the Bookaholic Fairies | 4/11/2016 | ||
| Home of a Book Lover | 4/12/2016 | ||
| https://jasminepearlreads. | 4/13/2016 | ||
| BIBLIOPHILE SOPRANO | 4/14/2016 | ||
| When Books Defy Gravity | 4/15/2016 | ||
| Amaterasu Reads | 4/16/2016 | ||
| Defiantly Deviant | 4/17/2016 | ||
| http://staybookish.net/ | 4/18/2016 | ||
| The Soul Sisters | 4/19/2016 | ||
| tinesreviews.wordpress.com | 4/20/2016 | ||
| https://bookbloggingwithricah. | 4/21/2016 | ||
| http://thebookaholicblurbs. | 4/22/2016 | ||
| Mr. Book Wonder | 4/23/2016 | ||
| http://celestialpages. | 4/24/2016 | ||
| https://bookwormaniac. | 4/25/2016 |
0 Comments on Blog Tour: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum as of 4/5/2016 5:44:00 AM
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By: New York Beauty,
on 4/2/2016
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Everything she wants. Everything he needs.
The supportive friend, the reliable daughter, the doting big-sister: Finley is used to being the glue that holds everyone together. But while her sweet demeanor makes her the perfect confidant, her wholesome look isn't landing her the high paying modeling jobs, which are what Finley needs if she is going to reopen her mother's dance studio.
Enter Eddie. He's intense and driven, not to mention the life of every party, and he completely charms Finley. The last thing she wants is another commitment to stand in the way of her dreams, but when she's with Eddie, their chemistry takes over and she can let go of her responsibilities and just be. After all, what's so wrong about putting herself first once and a while?
Except Eddie is hiding a secret. A big secret. And when it surfaces, he and Finley are going to have to choose between their love for each other and everything else...
This is certainly a book to look forward to!
0 Comments on Cover Reveal:You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross and Mark Perini as of 4/3/2016 5:52:00 AM
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/29/2016
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On Sale Date: April 16th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
What happens when the guy of your dreams suddenly walks into your life for real? It happens to Alice. Since she can remember she dreams of a boy, Max. When she walks into her new class, there he is! Max in real life!
But sooner then she can say his Name, she finds out that the real Max is totally a different guy than the dream Max. And becoming friends with him is even as hard. She discovers thoug that Max dreamed of her too. Their dreams start to mix more and more with their daily lives, which they grew pretty tired off. They must find out a way to stop the dreams, but how?
Dreamology is an okay read, but don't expect too much of it. What I liked most was the first half of the story. That part was the most interesting and I was curious for what would happen with her and Max. But then it started to get confusing, with a strange therapist who was supposed to help Alice and Max get rid of the dreams, but then he seems not capable of it anyway and then...? I found it hard to finish the last part, mainly because it lacked a direction and point and I just could't make much sense of what was happening.
Shortly said, I liked this book less than I hoped, and therefore I do not recommend it highly.
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/13/2016
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On Sale Date:March 29th 2016
Pages: 336
Age Range: Young Adult
Cecilia Montgomery is the daughter of an important Boston senator, her mother. Because of her mother's political career, Cecilia is used to being in the spotlight, she hates that last part, ánd the way her mother treats/owns her like she is some kind of dictator, and most of her childhood was spent hidden away at an exclusive boarding school One day she is so tired of it all that she just escapes. At one moment when her security guards have a weak moment, she sneaks away.
She escapes to become another new person: Lia Washington. In the little town of Sweetbriar, Tennessee, where she escapes to, she makes new friends. Fiona and Jasper, but she also meets Shelby, who has her eyes on Jasper, and because Jasper seems to like Lia she is kind of a threat to Lia. It's here and with them that her life takes the shape that she wants for herself, including a new job, but she constantly is worrying to be found out, as the media nationwide is front-covering the missing of Cecilia with picture. No one suspects anything, but as she suspects, her mother doesn't rest till she got Cecilia back in her claws, locked up again in a tower...
For the most part, I enjoyed reading it. The beginning of the book was good, well written and it made me curious for what would come next. The part where she was living as Lia Washington in Sweetbriar was also fun, as a reader you worry with Cecilia that someone starts to suspect something, but the author just made clear that someone of her friends did actually in the end. Speaking of the end: now this was the most unsatisfying cliffhanger ending I have read in a long time. I was a little stunned as the story was over WAY to sudden. That was something that really put this further amazing read down. I also was looking if there would be sequel (not found) or this is the first part of a series (also not found) that would possibly explain why the ending was like this.
So it is because of how it ended that I give this book three stars instead of four. Further on the characters were well created, it was well written, but I just want to know more about what happened to Cecilia in the end..
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/10/2016
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On Sale Date:June 28th 2016
Pages: 208
Age Range:Middle Grade
September 11 started for everyone like a normal, sunny day, until a plane hit the World Trade Center. The story of Nine, Ten starts a few days earlier. Four kids in different parts of the USA are going on about their lives. Sergio lives at his grandmother's house as his parents are out of the picture. One day his father shows up as Sergio has won a price in school with a contest, claiming he has the right to it too. Sergio runs away from home, and accidentally becomes a hero.Will is living with his mom in Shanksville. His father was killed in a car accident while he was trying to help somebody else, they are still trying to cope with this tragic loss.Nadira is muslim, and she has never had a problem with that, but at school, kids start to act weird because she wears a headscarf. Amy is sad because her mother has to leave again for work to New York, and she has to go to a new school.
And then it happens. Nadira is at school when a teacher points to the burning tower that was hit first. Will is with a friend playing outside on their bikes when he sees flight 93 flying low and out of control over the town. Amy's mother was planned to be at a meeting at the World Trade Center, but at the last minute, doesn't go because Amy tells her on the phone she misses her so much, and they just talk. And this saves her mother's life.
All the kids are at the memorial a year later, they never know each other but the author has written it in such a beautiful way that as a reader you really get to know the characters. It was just very moving to read about them, all of them where great in their own way. All of them were little heroes in their own lifes.
Altough this is a story about 9/11, it is never too heavy and certainly not for the age it is aimed at, middle grade readers. It is just a captivating read and I think young and older readers will certainly like this moving book!
0 Comments on Nine, Ten: A September 11 story by Nora Raleigh Baskin as of 3/10/2016 10:58:00 AM
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/9/2016
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On Sale Date:February 23rd 2016
Pages: 240
Age Range: Young Adult
The Smell of Other People's Houses is a book that alternates in chapters between different teen characters and set in Alaska in 1970. All of them needed to win their personal battles, they were basically trying to make it through life.Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.
I was attracted to this book by the cover (which I think really looks cozy) and the synopsis. Somehow I found it hard to get into the story and to stay interested. The book didn't have just one plot, it was more like little plots of the different characters together, and at a few points the life of the character's. I didn't though the characters where very interesting till the end of the book. They all deal with their own little problems, but somehow it just didn't move me as a reader.
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/3/2016
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On Sale Date: March 1st 2016
Pages: 352
Age Range: Young Adult
(review can contain spoilers)
It's Middie Daniel's senior year at high school. Her best friend Haley reminds her almost every day that it is the last time of something specificly related to high school that they are doing. After high school, everyone is leaving for college. Middie's boyfriend Nate is going away to do a year of volunteering in Honduras. When he comes back, Middie will leave with him for the same college they both will study at. But then the village where Nate is volunteering is attacked by rebels, and among many other people, Nate goes missing. At home, they assume he didn't make it, altough his mom travels to Honduras on a search for him.
Middie is devastated without Nate. With is best friend Lee she tries to cope with this horrible loss. Middie and Nate never liked each other when Nate was still alive, but now he's gone they bond because of his death and support each other to cope with it. Slowly they start to like each other as more then just friends, untill Middie get's a text from Nate's mother that Nate is found and is coming home with her...
The Leaving Season is a YA novel that I absolutely enjoyed reading! It was well written and altough it had a few weak spots here and there, I liked the plot. What I absolutely loved was the unexpected text from Nate's mother with the good news. I was hoping for something like that to happen in the book and it did! What I liked less was how Middie 'broke'' with both Nate and Lee in the end. That was something I truly didn't expect. Without any further ado, I thought this was a good and very entertaining new read which I definately recommend!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 3/1/2016
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Recently I graduated as an online content writer, and beside Marjolein Reads I now also have my professional website, Marjolein Writes. I am an online content writer for websites, social media and also an editor for your written work in both English and Dutch. Combinations with Marjolein Reads are ofcourse also possible. I am now open for new clients, click on the picture below to go to Marjolein Writes' website:
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By: New York Beauty,
on 2/24/2016
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On Sunday February 28th, author Shawna Yang Ryan will be holding a live Twitter chat with readers around the world. Shawna's fiction novel Green Island was just released. The hashtag is #GreenIsland, Twitter handle @Shawnayangryan and @prhglobal.Don't miss out on this!
February 28, 1947—Trapped inside the family home amidst an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island. In the following weeks, as the Chinese Nationalists act to crush the opposition, Dr. Tsai becomes one of the many thousands of people dragged away from their families and into prison. His return, after more than a decade, is marked by alienation from his loved ones and paranoia among his community—conflicts that loom over the growing bond he forms with his youngest daughter. Years later, this troubled past follows her to the United States, where, as a mother and a wife, she too is forced to decide between right and what might save her family–the same choice she witnessed her father make many years before.
In a story that sweeps across six decades and two continents, Green Island traces the course of Taiwan's history, from the end of Japanese colonial rule, to the decades under martial law, and finally to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. This lush, lyrical novel depicts a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: How far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?
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By: New York Beauty,
on 2/23/2016
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Expected On Sale Date: April 2016
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Fiction
1830: Jamie Pyke is a half white. half black boy who is a son of a slave and her white slave master. He gets the chance to become an apprentice at the story and workshop of a local silversmith, where he is taken in by the owners as their own son. He slowly works his way up in the Philadelphia society, and becomes loved and well known for his craftmanship. No one knows Jamie's (who know is called James) secret of being a mulatto, which was unheard of during the time the story is set in.
In this circle he meets Caroline, the daughter of a wealthy socialite lady. But when Caroline gets pregnant and Jamies secret leaks, he is chased away by Caroline's father. At the same time he learns that hhis beloved servant Pan has been captured and sold into slavery in the South. Pan's father, who once helped Jamie and to who he owes a dept, pleads for Jamie's help to find Pan back and to free him.
James sets off a trip to North Caroline where Pan is hold with a former slave of Tall Oakes, Sukey, who can't talk because her tonque is cut off by a slave master.oon the three of them are running through the Great Dismal Swamp, the notoriously deadly hiding place for escaped slaves. Though they have help from those in the Underground Railroad, not all of them will make it out alive...
I am so thrilled about this amazing and brilliant book! Recently I read about Kathleen Grissom's first book The Kitchen House and was thinking of getting a copy of it. But then I saw the e-galley of Glory Over Everything on Netgalley and decided to give this one a try first to see if I liked it, so I could later decide about buying The Kitchen House. And I know what to do now, get myself a copy, because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the story of Glory Over Everything and Kathleen's style of writing. I find it hard though to start this review, as this book has so much depth, characters, events, historical reference, plot twists and much more and I don't want to forget anything, just to underline how good it is.
The plot was in one word outstandingly brilliant. It is seldom that I read a book written like this with so many plot twists. (and if you read my blog often you know that i LOVE that!) The story is set in 1930 amidst the period that sadly slavery was quite ''normal'' in the United States. It was sometimes chilling and horryfying to read what slaves had to endure, like Sukey, who stood up to her slave master and got her tongue cut of, or just the sheer sadness and tragedy of families, sometimes only existing of mother and a little daugher who where torn apart and sold. Luckily the story includes quite some white people who where brave enough during that time period to stood up to it and help slaves, like the kind Quaker family who helps James, Pan and Sukey when they are chased and hide them under their floor.
The story is told from in alternating pov of James, Pan, Sukey and Caroline, both in the past and present time. This totally worked for this book, as the author let them tell all their backstories, whic was very interesting and entertaining to read. All the characters where brilliantly created by the author, also the side characters like James help Robert, who never leaves his side and just shows his great loyalty to James in the end of the book.
Without any further ado or more spoilers, I just want to highly recommend this book, it reads like you are watching a great movie, which I think this book is very suitable for.
The story is told from in alternating pov of James, Pan, Sukey and Caroline, both in the past and present time. This totally worked for this book, as the author let them tell all their backstories, whic was very interesting and entertaining to read. All the characters where brilliantly created by the author, also the side characters like James help Robert, who never leaves his side and just shows his great loyalty to James in the end of the book.
Without any further ado or more spoilers, I just want to highly recommend this book, it reads like you are watching a great movie, which I think this book is very suitable for.
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By: New York Beauty,
on 2/15/2016
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On Sale Date: February 16th 2016
Pages: 256
Age Range: Young Adult
After their parents’ divorce, Jan, Erika, and Melanie have to get used to the new world order: a father who’s moved to another continent and a mother who throws herself into moving on. Jan, off at her first semester of college, has plenty to worry about, including an outspoken roommate who’s kind of “out there” and an increasingly depressed and troubled long-distance boyfriend. Her younger sisters, left at home in New York City, and dealing with all the pressures of life in high school, aren’t exactly close. Erika is serious and feels awkward and uncomfortable in crowds, though her beauty tends to attract attention. Melanie is socially savvy and just wants to go out—to concerts, to parties, wherever—with her friends. The gap between all three girls widens as each day passes.
Then, at a party full of blurred lines and blurred memories, everything changes. Starting that night, where there should be words, there is only angry, scared silence.And in the aftermath, Jan, Erika, and Melanie will have to work hard to reconnect and help one another heal.
The Word For Yes is a quiet and nicely written YA novel. The plot hasn't much strength and depth, but the way its is written in makes up for a lot of that. Beside that the story picks up an important topic: in the story, Melanie is raped at a party, and this is the red line during the rest of the story, and how important it is to seek help afterwards. I really liked the characters, the three sisters are just the average teen girls, who also have to deal with their parent's divorce. What I also liked was just how the reader get's to follow the girls in different events. It is a short read, not the most thrilling, but overall I enjoyed reading it and recommend it!
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By: New York Beauty,
on 2/9/2016
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Release Date: February 9th 2016
Pages: 400
The Ramblers tells the story of three New Yorkers, who are connected through family and friendship; Clio Marsh, Clio's best friend Smith Anderson and Tate Pennington.
Clio is a bird watcher who leads bird-watching tours through Central Park, and is on the brink of taking serious steps in a beginning relationship with Henry. During the story we also get to meet her father, and the two look back on the pas and Clio's not so happy childhood.
Smith is the daughter of one of the most wealthy families of New York. She is a life coach and just getting over a bad breakup, just weeks before they where going to be married, her boyfriend Asad left her.
Tate is a Yale graduate, just like Clio and Smith, who is left by his wife Olivia and therefore has returned to New York City. Living on his own is new for him, meets a woman who he knows from his college days, she sparkles an interest in him, and maybe she is just the thing he was looking for.
The Ramblers is nice story I had mixed feelings about. I didn't dislike it but it also didn't blew me away. The story didn't have a real plot with a beginning and and end, It was more a telling of the lives of the tree main characters and what happened in the past and present in their lives. The characters where enyoyable to read about. The author created a nice connection between the three. I liked how the author has set it in New York City, which was a foruth character in the book and a loveletter to the city. As a reader you can just see Clio leading a tour through Central Park and hear the birds.
Overall an enjoyable read, not the most strong plot, but worth reading.
With special thanks to Little Bird Publicity
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By: New York Beauty,
on 2/7/2016
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Release Date: February 2nd 2016
Pages: 400
Series:Series: Mediator book 7
In this 7th installment of the Mediator series, mediator Suzannah Simon has to deal with many things. First there is her new job at her old school as a guidance counselor, besides being engaged to Dr. Jesse Da Silva. She finds out that real estate magnate and old fling of her, Paul Slater wants to demolish her childhood home, something she isn't that happy about. And then she has to deal with the ghost of a little girl who had an tragic accident when she fell of her horse years ago. The ghost almost kills Suze, so on firsthand she thinks this is an evil ghost, but during the storyline of the book, she finds out the history of this girl and her sister, and why this girl can't move on to the next world, and she discovers that the girl didn't have an accident, but was murdered.Time for Suze to unravel the truth and bring the murderer to justice!
It is quite a while ago that I read the 5th book in the Mediator series, and I missed out on the in-between novel The Proposal, so I had to dig a little in my memory to remember the characters of it. This book was a little harder to read as a standalone as the author let's Suze reference to things happened in the previous book(s), as for example with Paul Slater and Jesse, where some points where a little lost on me.
Now for the storyline and plot: the idea for the plot was good. But the sharpness and tension got lost in chatter, way too much chatter from Suze. It slowed down the story and made it go nowhere on many points. It would have been a much more exciting if the scary ghost of the girl was more deepened out. Therefore I was a bit dissapointed in this book, it didn't had the high speed, excitement and sparkle of Meg Cabot's other books. I also wasn't sure in the beginning if the book is aimed to a middle grade/young adult or to an adult audience, I can now say it is definately the last one, as there are some scenes in this book that are certainly not suitable for younger readers.
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