2014 YA Contemporary Challenge!

Hola! I have recently learned about a really cool challenge going on over at The Book Belles and Katie's Book Blog! (Links to the challenge page) I think I'll be competing on level 1, of 5+ books(:

Here are the 2014 YA contemporaries I plan to read:

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover - finished this one, it was great! Link to my review.

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mylnowski - next in my TBR, currently hosting a giveaway for a signed copy! Link to the giveaway post

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu - Just recieved it from Netgalley and it sounds insane. Can't wait!

AND AND AND (edited to add)

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover!!!! This is the companion to Losing Hope and it's free today!!! Just downloaded it on Amazon.  

As for the rest, when I find them I'll add em! Any recommendations for me? 
Over at the host blogs there are all sorts of giveaways and fun stuff so head over and join in!

Have a great week people! 
Love, 
Esty

Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope
Colleen Hoover
YA/NA romance + other stuff

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

I have been salivating to read a Colleen Hoover book since forever and was overjoyed when I got a copy of Losing Hope from Netgalley. As you can see though, it took me this long to get to it- and man I'm glad I finally did. 

Losing Hope started out so STRONGLY, which was amazing. I'm used to being introduced to the characters and world slowly and gradually, but this novel began with a boom and really added to the emotional strength of the book. 

I haven't read Hopeless, which is Sky's story, and while I absolutely loved Losing Hope and you can read one independently of the other, I did feel that certain bits were missing or needed elaborating, and that's what tipped me off about the companion. Needless to say, IMMEDIATELY ADDED TO TBR. 

Oh my gosh, Holder and Sky each broke my heart with every secret unveiled. The big one is also the obvious one, but don't be fooled like I was- you think you know what's coming, but it's the details that made the plot. My favorite parts were Holder's letters to Les- they were windows into his real pain, and to me there's no beautiful relationship like that of a brother and sister. 

On that note, I was disappointed in that the story stayed focused on Holder and Hope. I understand that is was meant as a companion to Hopeless, but in order for a different POV to be successful in my opinion, it can't just be a repetition of the first one just with the others' thoughts- it needs to be his or her STORY. Therefore I was disappointed with  the book's neglect of Les. We don't know almost anything about her, and being Holder's twin and Sky's best friend and the victim of the same things and *minor spoiler* commits suicide right in the beginning *spoiler over* you'd think she'd warrant a respectable portion of the book. She's there but only because he writes her letters. There are virtually no memories or flashbacks of her at all. 

Likewise, I felt their friends Daniel, Amy, and Thomas should have had more impact on the book. And everyone's parents- they seemed to have good relationships with Holder, Les and Sky and knew a lot of what was going on and yet there's not enough interaction. I would have wanted to hear more about how Holder and his family dealt with the grief- it's a defining factor in his character.

Spoilers Ahead:

In the end of the book, Holder comes to terms with Les's suicide in a way that makes it seem like it was the only thing she could have done. It could be percieved as justifying it. I wasn't happy.

Done Spoiler.

As usual, when the review is long you know it was nice and complex and emotional. Highly recommended!! Rating:



Please check out my first giveaway below! International (:
Love, 
Esty

Don't Even Think About It+ INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY

Don't Even Think About It

Sarah Mylnowski

YA Contemporary/ Fantasy

ABOUT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT:
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. 

Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same. So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

And just LOOK at these blurbs:

“A tour-de-force comic narration that will leave you gasping in awe—if you ever catch your breath from laughing.”—E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars"

Mlynowski continues to make comedy look easy in this smart and frequently hilarious novel, which features a collective first-person narrative that fits the premise like a glove... Filled with heartbreak, hilarity, and some brutal truths, Mlynowski’s novel will leave readers thinking about the gaps between our private and public selves and the lies we tell others and ourselves." --Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

"Mlynowski hits all the right notes. There's enough levity to keep readers laughing, but this is far from fluff--the real-life commotions are engaging, and the characters are fully developed. The story is funny, sweet and true to life, as readers have come to expect from Mlynowski. Her teens are emotional without being drama queens, amusing but not twee. A perfect read."--RT Book Reviews

Gosh, what would I do with the power to read minds.. the better question is, what WOULDN'T I do with the power to read minds. I think I would use it mostly on my friends - the girls mainly. Guys are much easier to read and most of the time you don't need to read them because let's face it, they pretty much make what they think obvious. 

So first use would be- ditch the girl friends who don't really care/are trying to hurt me in any other way. 

Second would be- find out what guys notice about me and intensify or rectify those things.

Third- find out what my dance teachers REALLY think. They make specific comments, but it's hard to know what they think overall.

Fourth- get on my principal's good side- you'll never believe the benefits of that in a boarding school.

ABOUT SARAH MLYNOWSKi:
Sarah is the author of the Magic in Manhattan and Whatever After series, as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have), Milkrun, and more.
Her books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. Sarah was born in Montreal but now lives and writes in New York City. www.sarahm.com

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for....

I'm giving away a SIGNED COPY of DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Thank you so much to Deb Shapiro & Company for providing me with one for you! Enter at the rafflecopter below- OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Spotlight!

Hey guys! I've now began working with Pubshelf!

It's a marketing business that promotes self published authors and those published by smaller publishing houses. I'm very happy to say that I am now an affiliate blogger with them(: 

Every week I'll be posting a new release that they're currently promoting .. feedback is welcome! Leave comments and say what you think! Sounds good? Pick up the book!
This week's pick is...



The Devil's Necktie
John Lansing
Amazon 
Amazon UK

A sizzling thriller for fans of James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell--an action-packed tour into the real-life world of cops, crime, drugs, and murder. 

Retired inspector Jack Bertolino had strict rules when dealing with confidential informants. But Mia had the kind of beauty that could make a grown man contemplate leaving his wife, his job, and his kids. After a passionate night together, Mia is found murdered--and Jack is the lead suspect.

Facing threats from the LAPD, the 18th Street Angels, and a Colombian drug cartel, Jack delves deeper into the seedy world of drug dealers and murderers and discovers that the top players knew Mia personally. And now Jack is torn between fearing for his life and seeking revenge for his slain lover....either way, the body count will rise.

Hmmm... this one sounds like it's for the older reader- but it's published by Simon and Schuster!!

About the Author:

John Lansing started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre playing the lead in the Broadway production of "Grease." He then landed a co-starring role in George Lucas' "More American Graffiti," and guest-starred on numerous television shows. During his fifteen-year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced "Walker Texas Ranger," co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and he also co-executive produced the ABC series "Scoundrels." John's first book was "Good Cop Bad Money," a true crime tome with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. "The Devil's Necktie" is his first novel. A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.

Thanks, Pubshelf! What do you guys think?
Esty

Review: Shatter Me

Shatter Me
Tahareh Mafi
Dystopia, Fantasy

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

It has taken me so long to catch up to everyone on this, and boy, am I glad I finally did.

Shatter Me was just a GREAT read. From the first sentence, I was hooked and intrugued. Juliette is such a strong character with such an intense and complicated past that served as a really fascinating backstory. Her struggle to overcome her mental and emotional barriers was done so realisticly and matched what I've heard and read about real victims of emotional abuse and neglect. And yet, the story wasn't heavy or hard to read. There's no graphic scenes and it's totally fine for the faint hearted. 

The characters were so wonderfully DYNAMIC! Adam, Warner and Kenji could each have their own book - and maybe they do, I know there are a few novellas part of this series. There was a touch of insta-love between Adam and Juliette- but they did have a mutual history, so I was able to buy it. 

Cover? Beautiful. Awesome female heroine with kick-butt powers? Check. Smoldering hot guy? CHEEECK. Writing? Great. Pacing? Just right. All in all? Pick up this book.

Only nitpick? I was hoping we'd get some sort of science fiction explanation to Juliette's powers, kinda like Under the Never Sky. The end suggested a bit of a fantasy direction, but we'll see(:

Rating:


Guess what? I'm the feautured blogger over at This Girl Reads A Lot! Come check out the interview HERE. Thanks, Jazmin!
Have a wonderful weekend, guys!
Esty

March Clean Out Your E-Reader!

Hey everyone(: COYER is a reading challenge hosted by Berls at Fantasy is More Fun and Michelle at Because Reading where you read and review free or nearly free ebooks that have been sitting in your e-reader for way too long! Links to the start post above^^

This month I plan to read and review 3 books! Last time I didn't make it.... hoping to rectify that!

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover





Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mylnowski



Impossibly Love by Shane Morgan




Below is the linky for the start up posts and reviews! Feel free to check up the hosts for the Twitter parties, mini challenges, giveaways and more!
Love,
Esty

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Spotlight!

Hey guys! I've now began working with Pubshelf!

It's a marketing business that promotes self published authors and those published by smaller publishing houses. I'm very happy to say that I am now an affiliate blogger with them(: 

Every week I'll be posting a new release that they're currently promoting .. feedback is welcome! Leave comments and say what you think! Sounds good? Pick up the book! 


This week's pick is...

Honest Sid

Ronald Probstein 

Amazon UK

Amazon US

If you're going to live outside the law, you'd better be honest. This seeming paradox was the operating principle of Sid Probstein's life. Guileless and endlessly optimistic, he was known as Honest Sid around his stomping ground of New York's Broadway. Sid wasn't a tough guy, or even a bad guy. He just never had the patience for the "straight" life, grinding out a living at some monotonous desk job. He was the quintessential American dreamer, always sure that the good life was just one big score away, a man who never stopped believing in his own good luck, even when the evidence said otherwise. He had all the tools, he was charming, good- looking, quick- witted and decent, but he had an obsession he couldn't escape. Honest Sid is the story of an American archetype as seen through the eyes of his son, Ronald, who loved him, and who almost lost him. It follows Sid's adventures in the world of bookies and bettors, fighters and fixers, players and suckers set against the often- romanticized backdrop of Depression- era New York. It is also the passionate tale of the great and tempestuous love between Sid and his wife Sally, and of his son Ronald whom he idolized.

About the author:

One of America’s foremost engineering scientists, Ronald Probstein is Ford Professor of Engineering, Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His undergraduate training was at New York University’s night school and his graduate work in aeronautical engineering and physics at Princeton. He has played a principal role in some of the most important scientific and technical achievements in the post World War II era, involving spacecraft and ballistic missile reentry physics, hypersonic flight theory, comet astrophysics, desalination, synthetic fuels, and the electrokinetic remediation of soil. For these achievements, he has been honored as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, International Academy of Astronautics, and awarded an honorary doctorate from Brown University. Author, editor, lecturer, inventor, Professor Probstein has ten critically acclaimed scientific and technical books to his credit. Born in New York City in 1928, he lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife, Irène. He has one son, Sidney, and three grandchildren.

Have a great week everyone! Much love(:

Esty