Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By: Stephen Chbosky

First Published: February 1999 by MTV Books

Re-Published: August 2012 by Gallery Books (MTV Books)

Pages: 213

Source: Publisher

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

I first read The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 2003, in my senior year of high school. I remembered feeling less alone after I read it. No matter what was happening in my life, I realized that people were going through things as well. It was one of those stories that have stayed with me for years. When I heard it was becoming a movie, I was so excited, I knew I had to re-read it before I saw the movie. When the publisher sent me a surprise tie-in movie edition, I knew it was fate. I was looking forward to seeing if the book meant the same to me as it did 10 years ago, and it 100% did!

What makes Perks so interesting and original, is that it is written in letter form, always ending in, "Love always, Charlie". Charlie is about to start freshman year of high school, feeling alone and scared he writes letters to an anonymous person, in the hopes that someone out there will listen to him. I thought this added so much to the story. Through the letters we learn all about his life, his family, his loneliness, and finally his new set of friends. His friends help him open up to become the young man he is meant to be. I loved these guys together. Patrick and Sam are wonderful and fun, and I easily loved both of them!

I just loved Charlie as a narrative. He is such an endearing young boy, and you can tell he has a lot of problems. Towards the end, a secret about Charlie is revealed. This secret changes everything and makes you understand Charlie so much more.

Overall, I loved this story as much as I did 10 years. Perks is one of my favorite books, and I think it is a book that everyone should read, young and old.

Check out the original cover:

I can't wait to see this movie! Check out the trailer below: 

Book Spotlight & Giveaway The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

Today I want to spotlight the newest book from a fantastic author, The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson. Derrolyn also wrote the Marina's Tales series (Between the Land and the Sea, The Mood and the Tide, The Fate of the Muse and The Turning Tides), which is one of my favorite mermaid tales out there!

Country girl Cal has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with nature and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books.  When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?

I can not wait to read this one! It sounds amazing. Ms. Anderson is such a terrific writer, I know she can't do any wrong.

I also have an excerpt to share with you all!

She stepped out from the shadows, shrieking, “Stop it! You’re going to kill him!”

The three thugs looked up with shocked faces, “What the…”

The punching man stopped in mid-swing and charged at her. She tried to run back into the tree line, but was thrown to the ground by a flying tackle, and dragged by her ankles into the clearing. She kicked and fought, twisting and clawing at the turf, but she was unable to break free. Her hood slipped down and a mass of curly blonde hair spilled out.

“Let go of me!” she screamed, remembering the last time a killer tried to drag her away.


The man lunged on top of her, straddling her and pinning her arms to the ground over her head.


“Shut up or I’ll shut you up,” he grunted from the exertion. The other two men stood looking down at her as she struggled futilely to get away.


“Here to save your boyfriend?” one of them asked, making the other one laugh.


“Help!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The man on top of her released one of her arms to slap her hard across the cheek, and it was all the opening she needed.


With a well-practiced grab, she drew her hunting knife from its sheath on her belt and pressed it to his side, ready to plunge it in. He looked down in horror and reeled back from the long blade, allowing her to push him over onto his back and spring to her feet in one swift move. She crouched above him, poised to plunge it into his belly.

“I swear I’ll gut him!” she yelled, her eyes flashing at the men who stood frozen. “Get back,” she growled through gritted teeth, trying her hardest to send them all an icy blue blast of fear.

It seemed to work, because the man lying on the ground called out, “Do what she says…” His eyes were wide in the moonlight, locked onto the gleaming silver blade.

“Back off,” she yelled again, watching the others as they slowly moved away. She kept the knife raised with both hands, shaking from the rush of adrenalin. A police siren wailed in the distance and the two men looked over their shoulders nervously.

“Take it easy Blondie,” the one on the ground said. “We were just leaving.”


She slowly backed away, keeping her knife at the ready, fully prepared to dive on him and stick it deep into his belly without hesitation. The man scrambled backwards, finally rising to join the others. He brushed himself off, trying to regain his dignity, and signaled for them to leave. She watched the three of them disappear back into the shadows they’d come from.

Satisfied that they were really going, she turned her attention to the beaten boy.

Cal had crawled to his knees and witnessed the whole scene, and he looked up with bleary eyes to see the girl standing over him, her golden hair reflecting the moonlight like the halo of a guardian angel. The police siren grew louder on the road beneath the hill, passing them by and fading away into the distance.


She bent down to offer him a hand, and he took it, focusing on the two raised scars that ran down the length of her forearm. She pulled him to his feet and he stood wavering, rubbing his sore jaw. It hurt to breathe, and he wondered if they had a broken rib.

He watched in a daze as she slipped her knife back into its sheath, pulling her oversized sweatshirt down to conceal it. She pushed her sleeves down over her arms and flipped the hood back up to cover her glowing mane of hair. It occurred to him that she might be a ghost.

“You need to get out of here before they come back,” she said.

“Where did you come from?” he choked out, looking back the way the men left. “Who are you?”

When he turned around she was gone.

Now for the giveaway! 

One US resident can win a copy of The Athena Effect, as well as a beautiful necklace created by Derrolyn herself!

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One international resident can win an ebook copy of The Athena Effect!

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Joy Preble is going on tour!

As you know, I am a huge fan of Joy Preble! I love her Dreaming Anastasia series and she is just one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I am happy to announce that Joy will be going on tour to a few places in Texas to promote her latest book, Anastasia Forever.

Joy will be signing at the local Barnes & Noble at these three locations:

Hurst (Dallas/Ft. Worth) on 10/15- 10/16

Round Rock/Austin on 10/17-10/18

San Antonio on 10/19-10/20 

Click here to get more information about the signing, locations, and times! 

About the author: 

A former English teacher, Joy is the author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series (Sourcebooks), which blends paranormal romance with historical fiction. The second in that series, HAUNTED, is out now, and the final book of the trilogy, title TBA, but currently ANASTASIA FOREVER, is due in Fall 2012. Another paranormal – about a sixteen-year-old stoner turned guardian angel – THE SWEET DEAD LIFE – is set in Houston and slated for May 2013, from Soho Press. Joy grew up in Chicago but now lives with her family in Houston where she writes full time and frequently gets into wild rumpuses and other mischief. She is not a fan of the Houston summer but does love cowboy boots, going to the rodeo, and the coffee drinks at Empire Café.

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Slammed

(Slammed # 1)

By: Colleen Hoover

Pub. Date: September 18, 2012

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 314

Source: Netgalley 

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. 

I started seeing Slammed around in the blogosphere and I was instantly interested in it. I requested it on netgalley and within 24 hours I finished one of the best books I read this year! There isn't enough words to describe how amazing Slammed truly is. The writing is perfect, the story is wonderful, and the characters will pull on your heart and make you scream for more. Within five chapters, I knew I was going to love this book, and I requested the second book, Point of Retreat, which I will be starting soon.

Layken just moved from Texas to Michigan with her little brother, Kel and their mom, six months after her father died suddenly. Lake doesn't want to be there. She misses her friends, she misses her dad, she misses home. As soon as they get to their new house, Kel meets Caulder, and Caulder's older brother Will. Lake starts to think that maybe Michigan won't be so bad after all.

I loved Lake. She is easily one of my favorite YA ladies. Some of the things that came out of her mouth were hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud like a fool many times. Then there is the swoon-worthy Will. After his parents died two years ago, he left college, and his football scholarship to become Caulder's legal guardian. He is about as selfless as they come. He is just an overall good person, and anyone would be lucky to have him in their lives. Both of these characters were so broken, but they helped each other in ways that no one else could. When things get even worse for Lake, it's Will that stood by her, no matter what that would cost him.

The secondary characters were some of the best I have ever read! The younger brothers, Caulder and Kel stole the show! They were so much fun and I loved their friendship. You can tell that even though they are only 9, they are going to be each other's best mans at their weddings. Lake's best friend, Eddie, who she meets on the first day of school, was hands down, my favorite character. Eddie has been through so much, yet she has a love for life and adventure. I was bawling like a baby on Eddie's 18th birthday! And honestly, if you didn't have tears in your eyes at that part, then you have no soul! Lake's mom was the kind of mom that everyone wishes they had. She is supportive, but not on top of Lake. She gives Lake the freedom she needs. She was just a wonderful mom.

I honestly could not have asked for anything better. Slammed is the perfect book to read on a rainy day. I can't wait to own a physical copy for my book shelf so I can see this pretty all the time! Slammed will make you laugh, cry, and swoon. It is an easy ready, and even though it deals with some heavy situations, it is still a book about family, love, trust and fun! I highly recommend it!

Point of Retreat is the next chapter in Lake and Will's story and is told in Will's perspective! I.Can't.Wait!!

Review: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Time Between Us

By: Tamara Ireland Stone

Pub. Date: October 9, 2012

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 384

Source: Netgalley

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett's unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna's life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate--and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.

  

Take The Time Traveler's Wife, but minus the tear inducing words, The Lake House, minus that entire god awful movie, and you have Time Between Us. A fast paced, thought provoking, wonderful story that stays with you long after you finish reading the last page. I was really impressed with how Tamara Ireland Stone put everything together. She has easily become one of my favorite authors.

It's the year 1995, and Anna is on her morning run when she sees a guy watching her. Later on in school she sees the same guy, but he says that he has never even been to that track. Turns out Bennet can travel through time and he is actually from the year 2012, but is stuck in 1995 for the time being. The more time the two spend together, the more they start to fall in love. But Bennet eventually will go back to where he belongs, and Anna will already be an adult while he is still a teenager in 2012. The odds are against them, but they were so sweet and their connection felt so real, I just had to root for them.

The characters were one of the best things about this book. Both Anna and Bennet were so realistic that I was able to connect with them easily. I loved how Bennet told Anna about his secret. He didn't overwhelm her with it, and he gave her time to take everything in. He was so sweet and he treated Anna amazingly. Bennet was definitely swoon worthy!

The writing was fantastic and everything flowed nicely. Usually, I am confused when I read time traveling stories because authors always make it more complicating then it has to be, but with Time Between Us, I was able to understand what was happening the entire time.

Time Between Us is a sweet love story that I highly recommend!

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Jenny Plague-Bringer by J.L. Bryan

I am so excited to reveal the cover for Jenny Plague-Bringer, the forth book in J.L. Bryan's The Paranormals series! 

How beautiful is this cover? I have been staring at it since it appeared in my inbox! 

Jenny Plague-Bringer
(The Paranormals #4)
By J.L. Bryan
Expected Pub: 10/23/2012
 
Jenny has enjoyed a year of quiet seclusion, but her peace is about to be shattered by two new paranormals who are searching for her. Their intentions are unknown. The timing couldn’t be worse, because Jenny can’t use her pox without risking the life of the baby growing inside her…

Jenny Pox is FREE here:
FREE on: Amazon | Apple | Smashwords | Sony | $2.99 on Nook

J.L. Bryan links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue.  Amazon US Author Profile  •  Amazon UK Author Profile

Giveaway:

First three books in the Paranormals series *autographed*

*open to entries from the US, Canada, and the UK!*

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Cover Reveals & Giveaway: Hell Bent/Heaven Sent Series by Isobel Lucas

Isobel Lucas is releasing a serial novel, which will contain a series of five novelettes. Each novelette will have its own story to resolve, but all five relate to a wider story! 

I am so excited to read these stories! They sound amazing and I LOVE the covers!

This is the overall series cover: 

And here are the individual novella covers: 

Novella number 1, On Raven's Wings releases on October 23, 2012. Here is a description for it: 

Mary Joseph's family is going through a financial crisis and now she's forced to finish out senior year at the local public school. In an effort to erase her Catholic school girl image, she joins a rock band, gets a makeover from her best friend, and changes her name to Raven.

Ian, the hottest guy in school, notices her and she's plunged into a world she never expected to enter. His kisses are as steamy as his body, but Raven doesn't know if he's telling her the truth about his bizarre family or if he's just saying anything to convince her to go all the way.

When disaster hits Raven's family, she has to make a decision: ignore Ian's wild claims or take a leap of faith.

On Raven's Wings is the first episode in a series of five novelettes (10,000 - 15,000 words) releasing every two weeks starting October 23rd. Due to sex and language, this is recommended for readers 17 and up.

A new novella will release every two weeks starting October 23rd. After the release of Metamorphosis on December 18th, a compilation ebook will also be released!

*Giveaway*

You can win all 5 ebooks! Just fill out the form below. Good luck! 

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