Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

How do you choose between your family and your history? Emotional and compelling storytelling from Sara Shepard, author of All the Things We Didn’t Say.

A late-night phone call on a Sunday evening rarely brings good news. So when Sylvie, a recently-widowed mother of two, receives a call from the head teacher of the school she's on the board of, she knows it won't be something she wants to hear. The school was founded by her grandfather, and she's inherited everything he strived to build up - a reputation, a heritage, the school and the grand old family house. And with this inheritance comes responsibility.

So when her son Scott is whispered to be involved in a scandal that led to the death of one of the boys he coaches at the school, it throws the family into chaos: Sylvie has to decide between her loyalty to the school that has been part of her family legacy for years and her son who she feels wants nothing to do with her. She starts spying on the dead boy's father, making an unlikely connection.

Sara Shepard's compelling new novel tells how hard it can be to really, truly connect to people, how making quick, easy judgments can come back to haunt you, and how the life you always planned for - and always dreamed of - often doesn't always turn out the way you imagined at all…

My Thoughts:
Let me start by saying that this review is going to be kind of short and I am sorry about that. Ok, about the book, on the one hand, there were parts of Everything We Ever Wanted that I really enjoyed. I liked learning about the secrets of the Bates-McAllister family, and how those secrets affect the members of the family today. I also really enjoyed the son, Scott and trying to figure him out, and lastly, reading the different POVs of the members of the family. What I disliked mostly was the ending. I like books with closure, and even though I feel there was a little bit of closure, it was not enough to satisfy me.  I was expecting something else at the end, which I did not get.

For me, the book dragged on a lot. The information that I wanted to know, Sara Shepard glazed over, and parts I couldn’t care less about went on for pages. 

I really enjoyed the characters. Shepard did a good job at creating distinct voices for everyone. I wish we would have gotten to learn more about Scott. I feel the whole book was basically about the adopted member of the family, and not only was he a mystery to his family, but he was a mystery to us as well. 

This was the first Shepard novel I ever read. The next book on my list from her is The Lying Game and eventually I would love to read The Pretty Little Liar series. 

Fade by Lisa McMann

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My Thoughts:
I loved Wake, the first book in the Dream Catcher trilogy. Part of me didn’t even want to read Fade because I figured it wouldn’t compare to the first one. Fade completely took me by surprise! I loved it. It was so much better then Wake and as soon as I finished, I was ready to read it again!

Fade begins a few weeks after the events of Wake. Cabel and Janie are officially a couple (well in secret anyway) and are both working for the FBI. When the Captain tells them they need to find a sex predator at their school, Janie has to be put herself in danger to catch him. I was not able to turn the pages quick enough. Fade was very intense and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen.

What I love most about these books is Cabel and Janie’s relationship. They are so adorable and I love how we see the two of them continue to heal and deal with their pasts. For the first time in both of their lives someone actually loves them and cares about them. Cabel is wonderful. I love him. After everything he has gone through with his abusive father, he is still the perfect guy. He’s so sweet and I can not get enough of him! He can’t stand to let anything happen to Janie. This case that him and Janie were working on was very hard for him, and I was able to feel his frustrations, anger and pain. 

I also love Janie. She is a wonderful protagonist. In Fade, she learns a lot more about her ability and how it will affect her. Instead of moping and being dramatic (and in this case, she totally has the right to be dramatic) she doesn’t let it stop her from using her ability to help others. She will do what she has to do until she literally can’t anymore.

This is turning out to be a wonderful series and I can’t wait to read Gone, the last Dream Catcher story. 

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

September 27, 2011

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
 

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Teaser Tuesday!

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers!

I am currently reading Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

 

Here is my teaser. Hope you enjoy it!

"And then I feel it. The splitting pain below my heart, pain strong enough to match the one in my head, the thing I didn't feel the other day but I feel now in panic. I am afraid of something that I am concealing from myself. It will gut me if I dwell on it."

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood—in a future that is eerily believable.

My Thoughts:
Alright, WOW! I was not expecting that at all! This book is awesome! Because Bumped was so good, I now have to read the entire Jessica Darling series, like right now!

Set in a not-so distant future (2035 to be exact), a virus has left everyone over the age of 18 unable to have children. To keep the population going, teen pregnancy is not only accepted, it’s encouraged! Pre-teens wear shirts that say “Born to Breed” and try on fake baby bumps at the store. Condoms are illegal and the more babies a girl can have, or the more times she “bumps” with a guy, the better off financially she will be.

Bumped is told in the duel-POV of Melody and her identical twin sister, Harmony. Melody, unlike all of her friends, has never bumped before. She is signed up with an agency that finds the perfect match for her to bump with and also finds the couple willing to pay the most. She is getting stressed because she is already 16 and her prime baby making years is already over. Harmony on the other hand grew up in a sheltered, religious community. Young boys and girls are pared off together to start a family that can best serve the church and God. There is a lot more to Melody and Harmony that meets the eye. Both characters will surprise you. I enjoyed both Melody and Harmony and liked seeing them grow as people and figure out who they really are.

While reading Bumped, it was so strange to think that this is happening only about 20 years into the future.  I can imagine a society like this hundreds of years from now, but not twenty. It was just crazy too me. When they talk about the old people, they are essentially referring to my generation! Crazy!

Overall, I loved, loved, loved this book! McCafferty left us with a pretty heavy cliffhanger and I can not wait to read the sequel! 

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.

Review

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Bought

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
A Little Harmless Addiction by Melissa Schroeder

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Free on Nook

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa (read my review here)

Hope everyone had an awesome book week!!

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.
 

An ebook exclusive novella from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

My Thoughts:

Can I just start by saying that I love Puck. I love Ash. I love The Iron Fey series and I love the amazing and talented Julie Kagawa for creating such amazing stories and characters! Summer’s Crossing takes place after the events in The Iron Queen but before The Iron Knight. I do not recommend reading Summer’s Crossing until you have read the first three books of the series!! Puck and Ash are on their way to look for Grimalkin when Leanansidhe, Queen of the Exiles, finds them and wants to cash in on a favor owed to her by Ash. The task is simple really, all Ash has to do is go into the heart of the Summer Court, retrieve a violin that Queen Titania stole from her and bring it back to her. Real easy stuff for the Prince of the Winter Court! Puck and Ash have to pull off one of the biggest pranks in Puck’s life and it is not going to be easy, but Puck is definitely up for the challenge!

What I loved most about Summer’s Crossing is the dynamic between Puck and Ash. They can’t stand each other, but at the same time you know they still care deeply for each other and might actually miss being best friends! I absolutely love them together and it just gets me more excited for The Iron Knight, the story told in Ash’s perspective. Summer’s Crossing also made me see Puck in a new light. I have a deeper respect for him then I had in the first three books, and I am glad that Kagawa revealed to us a little bit about Puck’s inner thoughts and feelings.

Overall, a MUST for any Iron Fey fan!! It made me remember why I love this series so much and got me so much more pumped for The Iron Knight!!