Review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Making Faces

Author: Amy Harmon

Published: October 12, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

Summary | Add to TBR Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

My Thoughts:

“I don't think we get answers to every question. We don't get to know all the whys. But I think we will look back at the end of our lives, if we do the best we can, and we will see that the things that we begged God to take from us, the things we cursed him for, the things that made us turn our backs on him or any belief in him, are the things that were the biggest blessings, the biggest opportunities for growth.”

There are things I expected from this book but I'm not sure if "inspiring" was one of them until I read it. You can't really judge a book by it's cover or by it's title. This book isn't like something that you will grab immediately when you see it. But this book is so much more than what you think it is. It's heartbreaking and beautiful all together. My heart has been broken by other books many times before but very few had actually made me cry. Making Faces is one of those rare books that deeply touched my heart. It's worth the read, it's worth the tears. The inspiring verses from the bible is one big bonus and it made me appreciate the story even more. Making Faces is a beautiful story of friendship and loyalty, love and sacrifice, forgiveness and acceptance. It was really touching and very inspiring. It deserves to be read and I recommend it to all who are beautiful and knows how to love and be loved, and especially to those who has Ugly Girl/Boy Syndrome who doesn't think they are beautiful and capable of loving and being loved in return. 

"And so we endure. We have faith that there is purpose. We hope for things we can't see. We believe that there are lessons in loss, power in love, and that we have within us the potential for a beauty so magnificent that our bodies can't contain it.”

Book Review: GRAFFITI MOON by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon
Author: Cat Crowley
Published: August 1st 2010
Publisher: Pan McMillan Australia
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My Thoughts:

Mum says when wanting collides with getting, that's the moment of truth. I want to collide. I want to run right into Shadow and let the force spill our thoughts so we can pick each other up and pass each other back like piles of shiny stones.

There are books that are easy to read and love but very hard to rate. This book is one of those. It's the kind of book that I like to read again but not wanting to review. Not because it wasn't good, actually it's the opposite and I really enjoyed it. It's just hard to write your feelings about a book that is so full of emotions. Graffiti Moon isn't a perfect book. It doesn't have a perfect love story. It doesn't have a happily-ever-after just like in fairy tales but it doesn't have a sad ending either. This book made me hope for something good to happen, it made me look at the good things behind the bad, and the happy things behind the sad ones. So why is it hard to rate this book? Because even though it's a beautiful story, there are times that I wanted to skip some lines because I just wanted to know the next scene. The pacing isn't slow but maybe I was just too excited to see the what will happen next, I don't know. But why did I give it a 5? Simply because for me, this book doesn't deserve any less. I love the characters, I enjoyed the one-night setting of the story, I like how the complications gave thrill in the love story of Ed and Lucy. The supporting characters and the variation of their personalities even made this book a lot of fun to read. And though I find the place and the setting a little sad, it gives hope and dreams to the characters. This book isn't perfect, but it made me feel.

I guess love's kind of like a marshmallow in a microwave on high. After it explodes it's still a marshmallow. But, you know, now it's a complicated marshmallow.

Characters. I can't love a book if I hate the characters and I think that's one of the reason why I love Graffiti Moon. Meet Shadow and Poet. Think about these two boys--one painting graffiti arts around the city walls and the other writing poems about them. Their arts are one of the best in the city but no one knows their real names. Then there's Lucy who once broke a guy's nose because he grabbed her arse on their first date, a girl who doesn't date ever since, a girl who thinks she can only fall for a guy like Shadow--a guy who thinks art is cool. And then they meet and he's there right in front of her face. And sometimes you can't see what's in front of you when you're busy looking for something else. 

In the story, I also see true friendship. I see true friendships. I see real relationships. I think that made this book so appealing to me. There is no annoying character, and I really appreciate that. There are two lovers who can't seem to get rid of each other though one of them throw eggs to his girl's head, and the girl constantly calling him an idiot. There's Jazz, Lucy's psychic bestfriend who loves lollipops and fall for a guy who writes and recites poems and who can eat sausage rolls in 30 seconds. They are funny, smart, talented. They're so entertaining to read about.

If you treat glass right, it doesn't crack. If you know the properties, you can make things; the color of dusk and night and love. But you can't control people like that and I really, really wish you could. I want the world to be glass.

There is something in the story and the characters altogether that made this book whole. It's a remarkable story, a bittersweet romance, a compelling journey of two people (and some) towards something that is unknown yet hopeful at the same time. Graffiti Moon will be hard to forget and it will stay in my memory for a very long time. I love this book and I think art is cool.

“For a while, for as long as you're looking at it, that painting is the world and you get to be in it.”

My Rating:

Book Review: LOCK AND KEY by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: May 14th 2009 (1st published April 22, 2008)
Publisher: Speak
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR

"Ruby, where is your mother?" Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

My Thoughts:

It's never something huge that changes everything, but instead the tiniest of details, irrevocably tweaking the balance of the universe while you're busy focusing at the picture.

Not even once did Sarah Dessen disappoint me with her stories. Her books aren't always the happily-ever-after kind of thing, but there's always hope and they are open to possibilities. I love how she made me feel when I read her books and mostly it's a mixture of emotions. She always made me cry, if not, teary-eyed. She doesn't fail to touch my heart with her beautiful writing. She writes with depth and delicacy, and her characters are very relatable, her stories are very realistic. This may not be my most favorite of all her novels but I still won't hesitate to recommend it. If you love Sarah Dessen, I'm sure this book will somehow make its way into your heart too.

The best gifts come from the heart, not a store. 

Ruby lives with her mom in a small yellow apartment until her mom abandoned her and left her to fend for herself alone. Her sister who left and whom she hadn't seen for ten years came and took her under her wings. Ruby should have been grateful in the fact that she will now study in an exclusive school, wear branded clothes, has her own beautiful room in a huge, gorgeous house in an expensive neighborhood. But she doesn't feel like she belong, and she kept looking back and coming back to her old apartment, her old friends, her old life. 

You get what you give, but also what you're willing to take.

The best thing I liked about this book is the relationship of Ruby to her older sister Cora. It's the closest thing in my heart with regards to the story. It's very emotional to see how she and Cora struggles to catch up with the lost times. It's a good thing but also a sad one. I liked Ruby because she is so easy to relate with. I understand her wants to run away from her sister and from the new life she's offering her. I understand Cora, for all the things she and Ruby had went through all their lives. And I adore her for all the things that she's trying to do for Ruby and to save her relationship with her sister. It's so fun to read about Cora's husband Jamie, too. I think he's perfect as a husband, as a man. He is so kind and forgiving, loving and very supportive. He's the life in the story and so is Nate. I liked Nate for being a really good friend, what can you asked for? He will always be there for you if you need him, though he has his own secrets and problems to deal with. 

"'You swim' is a philosophy?" 

He shrugged. "Better than 'you sink,' right?"

I think that when it comes to Sarah Dessen's book, you don't need a lot of encouragement or endorsement to make. They're just that good. This book is another reminder why I love Sarah Dessen. But if there is one thing that I wish I can get more from this book, it's Nate. I'm not really satisfied with the ending because I don't get my perfect love story or something close to that. And since I don't want to spoil anything, I'd just rather say this: I wish there was more of Nate and Ruby in the end of the story. And I wish I could see a life of Ruby and Cora with their mom. It was an issue that I don't think was addressed perfectly in the book. Other than that, everything is good. From the characters, setting and plot... really good.

I guess there is nothing more for me to say other than this: if you love other Sarah Dessen's books, go get Lock and Key! If you haven't read any of them yet, I hope you'll try to check her books out. Maybe it's about time to read her stories. I'm sure that at least one of them will deeply touch your heart. I read different kinds of book genre depending on my mood, but whenever I finish a dystopian book or a paranormal/fantasy book, I always seek for a contemporary read afterwards. And most of the time I  come back to Sarah Dessen's books. It's like coming home and it's nice to feel something like that.

...we can't expect everybody to be there for us, all at once. So it's a lucky thing that really, all you need is someone.

My Rating:

Book Review: STAY WITH ME by Paul Griffin

Stay With Me
Author: Paul Griffin
Published: Dial
Publisher: September 8th 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

My Thoughts:

It happens all the time. And it does. Until it happens to you. Then it's something different all right, especially when you're left to wander the wreckage.

I thought that this book was going to be a depressing one... I just felt it and I thought that I wouldn't be able to finish it soon enough. I know that I wasn't in the mood for a lot of drama but there's something about this book that captured my interest and I didn't want to put it down.

The story is about a boy who has learning disabilities but is good-hearted and gifted. But there was something about him than just his reading problem... he heard hissing whenever he get mad or angry or feel bad, and sometimes it was difficult to control. Until he met his bestfriend's sister, Cece. They didn't plan to fall in love but it just happened and Cece is the only person who was able to calm Macky. But Macky did something that changes everything between them and forced them to acknowledge the fact that it is now impossible for the two of them to have a life together.

I think that the author developed the characters very well. They have depth, they have feelings, they have unique personalities that made each of them remarkable. You'll know by reading the book that these characters--major and minor ones--weren't created as a filler. They were there because they need to be there... to make the story complete, to create sense and meaning in the story. 

I'm so excited being alive, I can't  stop smiling... I'm lit up just like the sky. Lighting falls all across it like God brushed a wirehaired jackal and pulled the dross from the comb and just tossed it down on us. - Macky

Macky is a complicated character and reading his mind is sad and heartbreaking. He is kind, compassionate, humble, and good but the circumstances made it hard and unbearable for him. He isn't the strongest character out there, but he is one of the remarkable characters I've ever met. I wish that the circumstances were different for him so he can have a good future but life isn't like that for everyone. Though I couldn't say anything about Cece, since I didn't relate to her much, I think she was a nice character to read about and sometimes her thoughts were funny and entertaining that it made the book a bit lighter to read. But among all the characters, Anthony is the one I liked the most. He has so much faith in Macky and I think that he could never be a much better friend than what he already is.

I think this'll be a defining moment for you. You just have to go through it, kid. When you're ready to stop hurting, you'll move on. But that won't change the fact that you'll always have a part of him with you... It's okay to keep loving him... it's never easy, but it's always great. - Anthony

The story seemed to be progressing really well until I reached the middle part of the book. The story began to pace real slow for me and I wondered where the story was heading. I skipped a few words, even lines, just to hurry up my reading. It's a little frustrating but I still wanted to continue and see how it will end. By the time I reached the ending, I was left open-mouthed. The ending just didn't do it for me and I was left hanging. I don't know if there's even a future for Cece and Mack to be together and it just broke my heart. I guess it just showed that life isn't always a happy ending, and life doesn't always work out as we planned. But no matter how I try to accept it, I still felt heartbroken.

I also think that this book will appeal better on readers who love, love dogs. In my opinion, this book focused a little too much on them, not that I didn't liked it, but it overpowered the story especially the romance flavor. Maybe that's the reason why I was left unsatisfied. Don't get me wrong cos I also love dogs BUT I love a good romance too and I didn't get the happy ending I wanted. I didn't mean it to be a bad thing and it was wonderful to see how they were given so much credit in the story. I just want a happy ending, that's all.

Well, considering how this book made me feel, I'd say that even though there are parts that were slow and that the ending was a bit disappointing for me, I couldn't say that this book isn't good and not worthy of my time. Because honestly, even after days of finishing the book, I still think about it and the characters, wondering the could-have-beens, their present that they have to deal with and the future that awaits them. It made me think about people and how our relationships with our friends and families can make us or even break us. It is touching, sad, bittersweet, and very realistic. Give this book a chance, you might really enjoy it.

My Rating:

Book Review: POINT OF RETREAT by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: February 25th 2012
Edition: Kindle Format
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

When I look at the page in front of my eyes,  I still can't see anything, just white. The page is blank. I hope I'll find a way, to write what I needed to say. Well, duh, I'll write anyway... Maybe you'll understand and get what I really intend to convey.
If you haven't read Slammed, I urge you to do so. Please read my review, and comment if you want to. Now, I will write about Point of Retreat It's better than Slammed,  I''m sure, you won't be tricked. It's touching,
much emotional than Slammed.
It's an amazing book,
I want a third one!  * * * * * My Thoughts:

Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Unfortunately, it's also one of the hardest in the world to hold on to, one of the easiest things to throw away.

Slammed is one of the best contemporaries that I read this year and Point of Retreat is much better! I didn't expect to love Point of Retreat more than Slammed, but reading what's on Will's mind was so much better than reading Lake's. 

And that's when it happens...my whole world comes crashing down on me...
Lake looks into my eyes and I see it...I see her heart breaking.

Point of Retreat is more emotional and heartbreaking than the first book. Lake's mom died almost a year ago, and no one better understands Lake more than Will, now that they both lost their parents and left with their brothers to take care of. Their lives should have been less difficult now that their together, but things doesn't go that way. Sometimes what binds two people is the same thing that might tear them apart. And there goes this saying:

In this book, I got to see Will and understand him and love him even more. The storyline is really good, and you won't be able to put this down. It was very engaging, very entertaining. I felt several emotions while reading this book and I'm telling you that it's all worth it. I love how the story was told and I loved how the characters matured and developed. I love the amazing characters and I can only imagine how fun and exciting to have those kind of people around. The author did a great job creating wonderful characters that are so real and very inspiring.

I don't know what else to say, except that I totally loved it and I highly recommend it! It's emotionally gripping, achingly beautiful and surprisingly sweet story. This book is made up of well-blended emotions that will surely give you a delightfully roller-coaster ride kind of feeling. It's a remarkable book and it's butterflying amazing.

If you enjoy contemporary books that is so entertaining, emotional but with funny moments too, sad but hopeful at the same time, adorable, amazing characters, and with just the right amount of swoon, Point of Retreat will be a great pick! Read Slammed first then grab this book immediately afterwards.  I totally loved this series. You won't be disappointed.

My Rating:

Book Review: WHILE IT LASTS by Abbi Glines

While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
Author: Abbi Glines
Published: July 31st 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Genre: Mature YA, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.

Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay?

Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.

Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.

Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

My Thoughts:

When I learned that While It Lasts is already available for download a day early, I immediately grabbed a copy! I waited so long for this book and I won't pass an opportunity to read it as soon as it hit the market. I didn't know how good it will be but as high as my expectation was, it absolutely lived up to that. While It Lasts is one of those books that you can't seem to get enough of. It was as good as Abbi Glines other novels, which reminds me why I love her writing. And even though Because of Low is still my most favorite of all her novels, While It Lasts definitely comes next.

Eva Brooks couldn't let go of her dead fiance. She still wears that ring that Josh gave her before he was killed in Baghdad. She never thought that Cage's arrival at their farmhouse will be her way to heal and to love again. But she's confused whether she's ready to give up everything--including Josh--and let herself fall for Cage. He was an absolute opposite of Josh. Josh who was always good, a guy that you can easily and proudly introduce to your parents and family. Cage was different, but she knows that there is something about him than his hot body and pretty face. There is so much more about Cage.

Cage was free and wild. He was like a beautiful bird you could never own. - Eva

Cage York, the bad and the naughty guy who bang almost every available girl that runs into him, now finds his perfect girl--Eva Brooks. It wasn't love at first sight for Eva, but it was definitely something for Cage. And though as he admits that panties is in his priority list when it comes to girls, Cage couldn't deny the fact that he's starting to break for this girl, and maybe...finally…he's falling in love. 

"You are sick," I said through my appalled laughter.

"Who me? You were the one listening at my door. What was it you were hoping to hear, Eva? If I'd known you were coming in hopes of a show I could have been more prepared."

I don't think that words will be enough to convey my feelings about this book. Reading Cage's story and seeing his thoughts made me love him even more. He'd been through a difficult childhood and his life has never been easy. When I finally see the real Cage, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It was heartbreaking to see how he really feels. He thinks that he doesn't deserve to be loved, he doesn't even think he has a soul. He's broken and he tries to deal with things in his own terms…until he met Eva Brooks, who happens to be someone he couldn't possibly have.

There are lines in the book that nearly broke my heart. Because as much as these two amazing and witty people made me smile (often) and grin (wider), they made my heart melt and break most of the times. I think that these two will always fit each other perfectly no matter how you put them together. I also loved how the story made me love Low even more, made me want more Marcus (please Abbi), and made me excited for whatever Abbi has in store for us. I find myself looking back to one of my most deeply-loved memories with this series while given a glimpse of something more to come in the future. I don't think I could ever get enough of Sea Breeze. 

I dropped my head to my hands. Why had I let myself care?
I wasn't the keeping kind. I'd learned at a young age that women didn't keep me. When a guy's momma don't want him, why… should anyone else?

I'd learned at an early age that self-preservation was the only way to survive with your soul intact. 

Or maybe I'd lost my soul already. I doubted God let someone like me to keep any gift from him. It was likely I'd been born without one. - Cage 

* * * *

I'd only known how it felt to love someone who loved me just as fiercely... I'd never wanted someone who didn't want me. The longing didn't go away with rejection. - Eva

One boy who thinks bad about himself and who doesn't think he can actually love and care deeply for a girl, and a girl who doesn't expect to be healed by a boy and be given a second chance in love…in life. These two amazing characters will make your knees wobble with anticipation. You'll love them, you'll feel for them, you might even break your heart for them.

If you loved the Cage York in Because of Low, you'll absolutely love him even more in this book! The humor and the funny moments in this book compensates the emotional aspect of the story, thus making this a very satisfying and delicious read. It's perfect for summer, it's perfect for any weather!

This book, just as the rest of the Sea Breeze series is highly engrossing and very entertaining. I read it in one day! I totally loved it. I recommend While It Lasts. I recommend Sea Breeze Series. I recommend Abbi Glines!

My Rating:

Book Review: WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE by Sarah Dessen

What Happened To Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: May 10th 2011
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR

Who is the real McLean?

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

My Thoughts:

You could just tell when a person belonged somewhere. That is something you can't fake, no matter how hard you try. -Mclean p13

Amazing how you could get do far from where you'd planned, and yet find it was exactly where you needed to be. -Mclean, p279

Of all Sarah Dessen's books that I've read, What Happened to Goodbye is the first one that made me cry. All her books are emotional, sad, thought-provoking, and they all deals with realities in life. But this one has touched me the deepest. Of all her characters that are crafted with delicate care--making them the imperfect, flawed, and most of all real--it was Mclean Sweet who captured my heart the most. This might not be my most favorite of her books, but surely this one will forever be in my heart. I don't know what it is that makes Sarah Dessen's books very touching that it makes me appreciate the people in my life after I read them. It makes me appreciate life itself, or my life to be specific.

I think it's important that it really have meaning to you if it's going to be part of you forever. -Deb, p129

Mclean's life isn't easy. She was once been happy, and that was before his parents got divorced. Before her mom cheated her dad with the university's basketball coach. Before her mom got pregnant with the twins, before her dad sold their restaurant and decided to be a consultant instead--the reason why they are traveling and moving every six months. She's been in four different schools during the last two years, avoiding making friends, making attachments, living a life. Every time they move, she takes it as a new beginning...every time. She starts a new life that isn't hers, not Mclean, but a new girl with a different personality. She feels that she doesn't belong anywhere, and I think that what makes this book achingly sad. To feel that you are alone and that you have no place to really call home... I think that's the saddest part.

What I really appreciate about Sarah Dessen's books, are the stories of life--disappointments, struggles, painful past, but always with a hopeful future. I always love the settings and the characters that she created... it make me feel connected to them in some ways I couldn't explain. Maybe because they all felt real to me--they're ordinary people dealing with normal issues in life. I love every bit of the story, because for me, it's giving me something true and something good to think about and hold onto.

Two a.m. You know. The person you can call at two a.m. and, no matter what, you can count on them. Even if they're asleep or it's cold or you need to be bailed out jail...they'll come for you. It's, like, the highest level of friendship. -Dave, p216

This is a story of girl who is trying to forget her real self but ends up finding herself in the process. With the help of her funny, weird, and amazing friends and a smart guy who live next door, she will realize that a home isn't actually a place...

This book is emotional but blended with just the right amount of humour and wit. I enjoyed it and I am grateful that I've read such a good story. I recommend What Happened to Goodbye. I recommend Sarah Dessen. 

My Rating:

Book Review: SLAMMED by Colleen Hoover

Slammed (Slammed #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: January 5th 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart. 

My Thoughts:

I hope Ms. Colleen Hoover won't mind if she see my failed attempt to review her amazing book with a...well...a slam. And please, don't tell me my score. And don't laugh. Besides, the book says:

The points are not the point. The point is poetry. -Allan Wolfe

So without further ado, here's my review entitled "Get Slammed".
Days or weeks ago, my friends recommended a book.
They said it's amazing, so I wanted to read it too.

It took me a moment or so to open Goodreads, 

Minutes to read the reviews.

Then I marked it to-read,

in my wishlist, 2012 release.

I read it in a day and a night to be exact.

It pulled me hard, I think I got Slammed.

This book made me think and care more about my family.

Think and care more about my friends.

Think and care more about death, but most of all about life.

About love.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the amazing characters that rocked me.

For Lake...

For Kel and Caulder...

For Eddie and Gavin…

For Julia…

Most of all, for Will…

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful writing--

that made me laugh,

that made me giggle,

that made me smile,

that made me swoon,

that made me ache,

that made me hope,

that made me understand,

that made me feel.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful plot and setting--
tragic, 

complicated, 

sometimes sad, 

sometimes happy, 

but achingly real.

5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the beautiful story--

blended with amazing poetry,

laughter-inducing dialogues,

weird but amazing true friends,

smart and funny nine-year olds,

great and fantastic mom,

and two hearts trying to find their chance at love.

Most of all,
5 Steaming Coffee Cups for the romance.
Though it felt a bit too-soon for Lake and Will to fall in love,
I don't think it lessen the thrill or the excitement of the ride.
I think...maybe...probably...
there's magic in what we call love at first sight.

Slammed is funny and sad, and witty and emotional, all at the same time.

I recommend this book. 

I recommend Colleen Hoover. 

You may or may not read Slammed, 

But here's something to ponder about even if you decide not to read it,
though I still hope that you will.
'Cos when you read Slammed, you'll see that it isn't good to "carve the pumpkins".
And it's fun and easy to just try slamming.

From Slammed:

Find a balance between head and heart.

Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for.

Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.

Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.

And laugh a lot.

Never judge others.

Question everything. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.

Be accepting of everything. People's differences, people's similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection.

Choose your battles, but don't choose very many.

Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in.

Never regret.

Days or weeks ago, my friends recommended a book.

They said it's amazing, so I wanted to read it too.

It took me a moment or so to open Goodreads, 

Minutes to read the reviews.

Then I marked it to-read,

in my wishlist, 2012 release.

I read it in a day and a night to be exact.

It pulled me hard, I think I got Slammed.

My Rating:

Book Review: FLAT-OUT LOVE by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Love

Author: Jessica Parker

Published: April 11th 2011

Format: Kindle Edition

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR | Get it here!

Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.

My Thoughts:

This review will be short. Simply because I won't be able to tell everything without giving away too much. I don't want to spoil the book for you just in case you decided to read it. 

I loved Flat-Out Love. I love Matt. I love Finn. I love Julie. I love Celeste. I absolutely enjoyed reading about these fantastic characters--from the Watkins family to Julie. Every character is something, and it's a book that I want to read again. And again. And again.

Flat-Out Love is one of the best contemporary books I've ever read. The reviews didn't let me down! Now I understand why there are so many readers who loved this book. And I mean *love* this book.

"We move to the edge of the plane again and pause. You cross your arms over your chest and lean your head back into me like I told you. I start to rock us back and forth, getting us ready to jump. And then we go."

The Watkins family is, well, kind of different. Something is off, and Julie is determined to find out what it is--the reason why Celeste is carrying a life-size cardboard cut-out of Finn, and why Matt is overly protective of her. The secret of Erin's family is so intriguing that it didn't let me put the book even when I knew that I badly needed sleep. Even though I have things figured out, I was still so anxiously flipping the page...after page...after page. I want to see how everything played out and it end up beautifully. The story is absolutely stunning, it's nothing like I've read before. The romance... Oh the romance! That's the very best thing I enjoyed about this book. I just loved how everything has been executed. I loved the Facebook statuses, I loved the instant messages between Finn and Julie. It was so entertaining, I was drawn in. I giggled a lot, a smiled hugely, I laughed out loud. It kept me awake until past three in the morning and I didn't regret it. I finished it in one day!

"I reach between us and release the buckles that holding us together. This is when I really panic. The ride up in the plane didn't scare me. Or the height, or the jump, or the noise. None of that scared me. Right now, only one thing does.
I'm terrified that when I undo that buckle and release you, that you'll get up and walk away from me. I can't think of anything more excruciating."

Beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking, and overall captivating. With a dysfunctional family to live with, problems and issues to deal with, and a blossoming romance with an emotionally-available-yet-geographically-unavailable guy, Flat-Out Love will steal your heart in all the right places. I highly recommend this book. Read it. Please *wink*.

"Then I ask you to ignore everything you think you know and to listen only to your heart, without doubting anything. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can."

"Then I kiss you, and I make you feel everything that I feel."

My Rating:

Book Review: EASY by Tammara Webber

Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
Publication Date: May 5th 2012
Format/Edition: Kindle Edition
Genre: Mature Young Adult (New Adult), Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

My Thoughts:

One of the upsides of having too many great bookish friends is they keep you updated with so many good books to read. And since I trusted my friends opinions about EASY, I immediately I grabbed a copy. (Girls, you know who you are! *winks)

Now don't laugh 'cause I just might be... the soft curve in your hardline.

Easy is one of those books that is so hard to put down once you started it. From the beginning I was sucked into the story and I found myself not wanting to stop reading even if it means bringing my e-reader to the toilet so I can pee (oops, excuse me *grins). I was reading it during our trip to the grocery store last night and even on the ride back home. And even while waiting for the food to arrive in the restaurant! It was that good. I enjoyed every minute of it.

After being dumped by her boyfriend of three years, she was attacked by her ex-bf's frat brother Buck at the Halloween night. If it wasn't for Lucas, she'd be raped in her own car. Suddenly, he was everywhere--in her economy class--sitting at the back row, and at Starbucks where she ordered her usual coffee. She can't deny that she's attracted to him, gorgeous, hot and sexy. But she also can't help but think about her mysterious econ tutor whom she haven't met except through emails. Landon Maxfield isn't just an intellectual guy but also kind and funny. She looks forward to his emails and found herself flirting with him.

Okay, so there's that two guys that made this book enjoyable and yummy to read. But what I loved most in the story is Lucas. Who wouldn't be? This guy had me swooning all over everytime he was mentioned in the book. Every revelation about Lucas made me so giddy to read more. And the tension between the characters builds up an exciting read. There's also a handful of romantic moments that made me swoon to the bones. Just great. If authors keep writing this kind of books, I won't be able to sleep at all! I finished it in one day and I want to read it all over again! 

With amazing set of characters, intense plot and beautiful storyline, this book will keep you entertained until the last page. There is a whole lot of emotions addressed in this book, and the issue on rape, harassments and trauma were carefully tackled. The author made it realistic and believable, bringing out an emotional and touching story.

So if you're looking for a captivating book--fast, absorbing, enjoyable, and edgy--pick EASY. It will entertain you for hours and sweep you off your feet.

He stuck the pencil over his ear, looking unconvinced. "Mmm. What position would be the most comfortable for you?"

I couldn't say aloud the answers that popped into my head at that question, but the flush that spread across my face like wildfire gave me away. He caught his lower lip in his teeth, and I was sure it was to contain a laugh. Most comfortable position? What about with my head stuck under a pillow?

Warning: You should be a mature YA reader if you pick this book. Just saying... ;)

Thanks to my awesome Starbooks friends who recommended EASY. You girls always rock!

My Rating:

Book Review: THE DAY BEFORE by Lisa Schroeder

The Day Before
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publication Date: June 28th 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR
Sixteen-year-old Amber, hoping to spend one perfect day alone at the beach before her world is turned upside down, meets and feels a strong connection to Cade, who is looking for his own escape, for a very different reason.

My Thoughts:

I look out the window and
imagine the warm sun on my face,
the sound of the surf in my ears.

                 "I'm glad I'm not there."

I feel his eyes on me.
"I'm glad I'm here."

I'm no longer
just thinking warm thoughts.
I'm feeling them.

Have you ever tried to escape your life even in one day? This book is about that. Well, not really. It's more than that. It's also about finding love in unexpected places, and probably during the most unexpected time. It's about accepting your life as it is while moving forward to where you should be.

Amber was switched at birth. Now 16, she has no choice but to live with her real parents whom she never knew at all. The day before she move with them, Amber decided to spend the day alone at the beach. She didn't expect to meet a mysterious, beautiful boy whom she end up spending the rest of the day with. 

I didn't know that the story was written in verse until I opened the book to read it. This was the first novel I've read written by Lisa Schroeder and I'm sure it won't be the last. It was a beautiful book and I'm glad that I picked it.

I don't remember when I started feeling emotional but I guess it was the moment I started reading the first lines. I was amazed to get so much from a book that was written in short verses which you can read in one sitting. I read it in two hours! Two short hours but those were undeniably fun and meaningful. It was a heartwarming story written with so much beauty. I loved how the story unfolds as Amber told the story in her own point of view. I liked her character, her honesty. Cade was a wonderful character all over. He was beautiful inside and out and I loved how his relationship with Amber developed from attraction to something that is so much more. 

As I read the book, I began to feel nervous (and hopeful) about the ending. But I'm glad that the author didn't left me unsatisfied. It was really full of hope and I was left wanting for more. This book is surprisingly amazing and I totally enjoyed every minute of it. If you enjoy contemporaries with likable characters, sweet yet emotional story that can touch your heart and giggle at the same time, then I won't hesitate to recommend this book to you. Touching, endearing and beautiful all over.

"It's all yours," I tell him.

And I mean it.
He can have it all.
He's already got the most
important thing anyway.

My heart. 

You got it right. This book got my heart.

My Rating:

Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publication Date: January 2nd 2012

Publisher: Poppy/Little Brown

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

My Thoughts:

"People who meet in airports are seventy-two percent more likely to fall for each other than people who meet anywhere else." - Oliver

Loved it! I didn't want it to ever end. It's funny, deep yet a light read, some part emotional but mostly it's refreshing. It's unique and beautiful you'd wish something like this would happen to you as well--the meeting-in-the-airport thing and the-love-at-first-sight thing that could lasts a lifetime. Amazing book!

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight is a story about Hadley who hadn't seen her father for almost a year, and now forced by her mother to attend his wedding in London with a woman she haven't even met. She arrived at the airport four minutes late and she has no choice but to wait three more hours for the next flight to London. There she meet Oliver.

He's like a song she can't get out of her head. Hard as she tries, the melody of their meeting runs through her mind on an endless loop, each time surprisingly sweet as the last, like a lullaby, like a hymn, and she doesn't think she could ever get tired of hearing it.

I've heard lots so many things about this book and all of them were good. I so agree with other readers who said it was an adorable book because it certainly is! I loved every part of it. I laughed many times during Hadley and Oliver's conversations because they were funny, but I didn't expect this book to be so emotional either. Hadley's issues with her father and her soon-to-be stepmother, and her feelings for Oliver gave this book a tension-filled moments that I never thought would keep me rooted on my seat for hours, trying not to cry. I don't know if it's just me, but it hit me hard. I loved this book so much and I hope you'll give it a try. It's not just love at first sight, it's so much more. The story is simple but meaningful. It was beautiful and full of hope. It's about being able to forgive and realize that people makes mistakes but it's still possible to find happiness. And most of the time, they can be found in the most unexpected places. It's about the beauty of love and having chances. It's about fate. 

Read this book if you love YA contemporary romance and believe in love at first sight (or even if you don't). It may not take you four minutes to finish it, but you'll have a ninety-nine percent probability of enjoying this book. It's one of those fun reads that can light up anyone's heart. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

"Not everyone makes fifty-two years, and if you do, it doesn't matter that you once stood in front of all those people and said that you would. The important part is that you had someone to stick by you all that time. Even when everything sucked. Seriously, how else do you know that it means something? Unless someone's there to hold your hand during the bad times?" - Hadley

My Rating:

Book Review: THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publication Date: May 11th 2004
Publisher: Penguin Group Inc.
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Summary | Add to TBR

a long, hot summer...

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder, Is it really better to be safe than sorry? 

I just loved this words from Author Sarah Dessen regarding her book and it's main characters Macy and Wes:

"...overwhelmingly, I’ve heard the most so far about Wes. I think that in a lot of ways, he was the kind of guy I was always looking for: one who wasn’t so interested in the “perfect,” girl, whoever she might be. A boy who likes flaws, who sees potential in everything... Wes to me is hope. To him, nothing is ever finished, or broken. It’s just waiting to be incarnated, to begin as something new, again. And that, to me, is what Macy’s story is all about. How life is a continuing series of beginnings and endings, losses and gains, all folding into one long stretch, one lifetime, and one forever." - Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever.

My Thoughts:

It's been a while since I read a Sarah Dessen's book and once again, this book did not disappoint. It reminds me of how much I loved Along For The Ride... how much I adore Sarah Dessen because of her stories and how much I wanted to read more of her books. Whenever I crave for contemps, I don't hesitate to pick up Sarah Dessen's. If you haven't tried reading her amazing stories, you're missing something...

The Truth About Forever is an absorbing, heart warming story about Macy, who, after losing her father gave up running (something she was amazing at, and the thing that makes her feel close to her father), settled for Jason (her brainy, organized and perfectionist boyfriend), and make sure that everything about her is neat, presentable, and... perfect.

So when she meet the Wish catering crew, including the beautiful and talented boy Wesley, she began to realize that she can no longer hide what she truly was. That her life isn't supposed to be perfect... more than anything else, she needs to be alive.

I don't know how Sarah Dessen did it, but she nailed it again. This book is just what I needed. The characters she created are amazing. What's with her boys? She makes me love them so much that I can't seem to get enough of them! First, she made me fell in love with Eli in Along For The Ride, now it's Wes! *swooning. I loved Macy, her sister Caroline, Delia, Kristy, Monica, and Bert. They all made this book even more entertaining and worthwhile. I'm sure you'll be thrilled to meet them.

I know that some of you avoid books that are heavy and emotional, but I don't think you could ever go wrong with this book (or any of Sarah Dessen's books). She's a brilliant writer and she knows how to pull the readers into her stories... she knows how to break and mend the hearts of her readers and I am impressed by how she creates her characters--flawed but perfect, weak yet strong, broken but remained whole. 

The Truth About Forever will inspire readers to be alive, to make every moment count, to appreciate the flaws and holes and scars in our life. Because the truth is, life isn't perfect. And forever can start now, just like the things that just happen. No plan. It can start the moment you choose to be alive. This story is truly inspiring and highly engaging. This is why I recommend it especially to those YA contemporary lovers. I want more of it and I will definitely pick up another Sarah Dessen's book. Soon. Soon. Soon.

"For any of us our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. You can never know for sure, so you'd better make every second count."

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."

"Just because someone's pretty doesn't mean she's decent. Or vice versa. I'm not into appearances. I like flaws, I think they make things interesting." -Wes

"Someday, you'll agree to run that mile with me..." -Wes

My Rating:

Other books by Sarah Dessen

(Click the image to add the book on your TBR on Goodreads)

Read my Review of Along For the Ride.