Book: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Published by Penguin Group

Purchased for my Nook (304 pages)

Genre: YA: Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Huntley Fitzpatrick

Goodreads.com Summary: The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? 

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

I loved, loved, loved My Life Next Door.  It is not funny how much I loved this book!

I loved the Garrett family, to the point that I would love to be a part of their family.  Or least really good friends with one of the Garrett kids so I could hang out with them, at their house, all the time.  The Garretts reminded me of the Weasleys, with how fun and warm and open they are.  They might not have a lot of money, but there’s a lot of love.

Maybe it’s not too late to find a family like this.

Just kidding.  I loved the Garretts and how different they are from the Reed family.  I didn’t care for Samantha’s mom, or her sister, but I did like Samantha.  While Samantha comes from a wealthy family, Jace doesn’t.  I really liked that Fitzpatrick didn’t hit you over the head with how different they were, but sometimes it felt like it was there just to highlight how different Jace and Samantha are.

I thought Tim was an interesting character, and I liked seeing how he became friends-ish with Sam towards the end.  I thought Nan’s jealousy of Sam was really annoying, although Nan does just kind of disappear.  I kind of wish that had a little more resolution.  I know that Nan and Sam were best friends, but it really felt like Sam didn’t really have a lot of friends sometimes.

We have to talk about the ending- Grace is involved in a hit-and-run- and hits Jace’s dad.  It causes a lot of problems (naturally) and I thought Jace was extremely forgiving.  It happened a little too fast, but what was really frustrating was that Grace, her former campaign manager, Sam, Tim and the Garretts were the only ones who knew what happened the night of the accident.  Yeah, the happy ending was nice, but at the same time…it’s just irritating that there weren’t really any consequences for Grace’s actions.

But My Life Next Door was a wonderful read.  It was hard to put down, and I laughed and even cried at one point.  I loved the characters (for the most part) and the setting, and I especially loved seeing Sam connect with the Garretts.  There’s something very sweet, fun and heart-warming about this book.

My Life Next Door gets 5 out of 5 stars.

Book: Crash by Nicole Williams

Self-published by Nicole Williams

Purchased for my Nook (215 pages)

Genre: New Adult- Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Nicole Williams

Goodreads.com Summary: Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He’s got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now. 

Jude’s everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she’s about to find out, is the only thing she’s incapable of. 

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love’s about to become the thing that tears them apart.

I really liked Crash.  I was really surprised by it, but it’s a great read.

I really liked Jude and Lucy, especially as a couple but found that Jude pushing Lucy away only change his mind was really annoying.  And Lucy deciding to ignore Jude’s warning was equally annoying.  They do have their fair share of problems, but it seems like things have worked out for them by the end of the novel.

We know that something horrible happened 5 years prior to the start of the novel, but we don’t learn what it is until the end.  And that is when we learn that Jude’s dad used to work under Lucy’s father, but is fired, and ends up murdering Lucy’s older brother.  I didn’t really care that the big revelation happened at the end, and that everything works out fine in the end, but considering how complicated their relationship seems to be, it’s not a big surprise.  We learn that Lucy’s dad knew who Jude was, and while we don’t know if her mom knew, I think she might have.  She never liked Jude, and while it could be that he’s been in jail, and is just trouble, it could also be because she knew what his dad and is holding it against him.

Still, Lucy does see who Jude could be, while everyone else (including Jude) sees him as what he’s done and what he’ll always be.  They both try to move on, and in Jude’s case, try to break away from this predetermined path he’s on.  She’s still full of optimism and hope, and yet it’s hard for her to be trusting and let people in.

There is a lot of angst, but I actually kind of liked how angsty it was.  A little over-the-top?  Maybe, but it still worked for some reason.

I thought dance would be really important, given the cover.  But it turns out that it doesn’t play a big role in the book.  It’s a shame, because I would have liked to see Lucy lose her in dance because of everything that’s going on.

And is it just me, or did the characters feel much older than their 17 years?  It really felt like the characters could have been a year or two older.

I loved The Beetles references throughout the book, and I really liked all of the issues throughout the book.  I really wanted Jude and Lucy to have a happy ending, because they both deserve to have some happiness in their lives.

Crash gets a 4 out of 5 stars.  I didn’t love it, but I still found myself drawn to Lucy’s story.

Book: Cutters Don’t Cry by Christine Dzidrums

Published by Creative Media Publishing

Purchased for my Nook (132 pages)

Genre: New Adult: Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Christine Dzidrums

Goodreads.com Summary: 19-year-old Charity Graff engages in self-harm. More specifically she cuts herself to numb emotions. In a series of raw journal entries, the confused teenager writes to her estranged father, filling him in on what’s happened in her life since he left her nearly 18 years ago. Throughout the course of her letter writing, Charity chronicles her penchant for cutting, a serious struggle with depression and her inability to vocally express her feelings.

I just loved Cutters Don’t Cry!

I found Charity to be very real and very relateable, and there were a few times her own story mirrored my own.  There were times I couldn’t stop crying, and Dzidrums did a great job at capturing the range of emotions Charity felt.  I’ve never self-harmed but it’s so easy to understand why Charity does it.  And Dzidrums did a wonderful job with showing the downward spiral Charity was in.  I thought the use of a journal was such a great way for Charity to share her thoughts and express her feelings.  Sometimes, you write because speaking can be too hard and scary.  The journal entries written to her dad were so powerful, and I loved seeing her work through everything.  Her entries were very honest, and very vivid.

I also liked that Charity wrote to her dad, who she doesn’t remember.  Almost like writing to him was her way of telling someone what was going on, and to work out her feelings about her dad.  I connected very much with Charity and her experiences, and I loved that she’s 19, in college, and not sure of her future.  You really see her as someone who’s scared to speak up but who eventually realizes that she needs help and is ready to get that help.

The only thing I didn’t like was that it was really short.  I would have liked a little more closure- you see she’s taking steps in the right direction, but you don’t see her several months down the line.  You also got bits and pieces of her childhood, and I would have liked more of that as well.  But in it’s own way, it did work. because you got enough of what happened and where she was headed.

Cutters Don’t Cry gets a 5 out of 5.  It was so well done, and I really connected it.

Book: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Published by Little, Brown Book Group

Purchased for my Nook (503 pages)

Genre: Fiction- Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~J.K. Rowling

Goodreads.com Summary: When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

I really liked The Casual Vacancy.  It’s very different than Harry Potter, but I still really enjoyed it.

At first, it was a little hard to get into because of the many characters and storylines, but once I got to know them, it was easier to follow.  And once I got into it, it was hard to put down.

I really liked the characters, and they really felt like people I know or could know someday.  I think Krystal is my favorite, and I really felt bad for her.  Well, most of the time.  There’s definitely an assortment of characters, though, and JKR did a great job with bringing them to life.  Honestly, writing very real, interesting characters that you love or love to hate is a strength of hers.  Did I like all of the characters?  No.  In fact, a lot of them are very easy to dislike.  Some characters have a moment or two where you like them or feel sympathetic, and they all have their own flaws.

I can get why people would be bored reading it- because not a lot happens.  But I like that it’s just about life, where things don’t always have a happy ending and people sometimes live boring lives.  It’s what I picture a small town to be like, and I really felt like Pagford is a real place.  She did a great job with describing the town, the local politics and the people who live there.  Pagford and its residents are very distinct, and I love that we see what the characters are thinking and why they act the way they do.

There is a lot going on- kids fighting with their parents, adults fighting with each other, people gossiping.  You see poverty, sex, drug addiction, and unhappy marriages.  You see people go through horrible things, and it wasn’t until I read The Casual Vacancy that I realized how good J.K. Rowling is at writing real life.  I thought she handled all of the issues very well, and you have to wonder how much of her own experiences wound up in The Casual Vacancy.  Perhaps none did, but either way, The Casual Vacancy shows an interesting look at life.

Did I love The Casual Vacancy?  No, but I really liked it.  It’s well-written, with very flawed characters.  It gets a 4 out of 5.

Book: My Soul To Keep by Rachel Vincent

Published by Harlequin Teen

Purchased for my Nook (246 pages)

Genre: YA: Paranormal

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Rachel Vincent

Goodreads.com Summary: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them. 
Until something does. 
Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends–one of whom is already hooked. 
And so is someone else…

I liked My Soul To Keep, and overall, I really love this series.  But My Soul To Keep is also my least favorite (so far).

I just loved Tod and how protective he was of Kaylee.  I didn’t like Nash in this one, and mostly because he was so different.  I get why Vincent wrote him the way she did, but I still found myself annoyed with him, especially when we found out he was addicted to Demon’s Breath.  Looking back, there were definitely clues as to what was going on and how/why the demon’s breath crossed over in the first place, and things really did make a lot of sense at the end.

Kaylee’s relationship with Nash definitely took a hit, and I wonder if anything will happen with Tod.  There really is a lot of potential for a love triangle.  I also appreciate that Kaylee wants to help people, but it is a little annoying that it took her so long to tell someone what was happening.  I think they definitely need a break from each other, but who knows if that’s really going to happen?

I did like seeing the Netherworld, and we did get to see a little more of it.  I think we’ll be seeing more of it in the books to come.  Vincent is doing a great job with building on the world she created and adding in more details and new problems and villains with each book.  I really can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.

My Soul To Keep started off a little slow, and the beginning was a little repetitive at times, but it did get a lot more interesting towards the end.  I like how we’re starting to see the consequences of Kaylee’s actions.  While they’re not always immediate, at least there are consequence, and I really hope she learns from that.  I also have a feeling that things are going to get really serious, and that we haven’t seen the last of Avari.  But there’s also something fun about this series, and I hope that sticks around too.

Still, My Soul To Keep was a fun read, and it gets a 3 out of 5.

Book: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin

Purchased for my Nook (371 pages)

Genre: YA: Dystopic

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Heather Anastasiu

Goodreads Summary: In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. In Heather Anastasiu’s action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

I was really intrigued by Glitch.  The idea of a computer chip that makes you not feel anything and essentially puts you on auto-pilot is a really interesting idea, and is something I could see as a possibility sometime in the future.

But something about Glitch didn’t work for me.  I didn’t care for the relationships, the characters weren’t particularly interesting, and it felt like things were thrown in just to be there.

I thought Zoe was just okay, and I get her desire to turn herself in…but I also get why she didn’t.  I totally get wanting to help others like her, but in a society where people are just cogs in a machine, but can get reported for showing anomalous behavior, it’s risky.

That could have been really interesting, but it turned out to be more boring than I expected.

The one character I couldn’t stand was Max.  The way he just keep pushing Zoe was really annoying and I wanted to punch him in the face because he was so annoying.  Adrien was okay, and I kind of liked him.  Until the end, and now I’m just not sure about him.  Although I will say that he’s a lot more likeable than Max, which isn’t saying a lot.

You do get a pretty good idea of why the Community is set up the way it is.  But for some reason, it didn’t feel like it was very developed.  And not just world-building.  But it felt like the characters were kind of not very developed either.

Glitch gets 2 out of 5.  Interesting idea, but it was just okay.

Book: Agorafabulous!  Dispatches From My Bedroom by Sara Benincasa

Published by William Morrow

Purchased for my Nook (272 pages)

Genre: Non-fiction: Memoir

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Sara Benincasa

Goodreads Summary: “I subscribe to the notion that if you can laugh at the shittiest moments in your life, you can transcend them. And if other people can laugh at your awful shit as well, then I guess you can officially call yourself a comedian.”

In Boston, a college student fears leaving her own room—even to use the toilet. In Pennsylvania, a meek personal assistant finally confronts a perpetually enraged gay spiritual guru. In Texas, a rookie high school teacher deals with her male student’s unusually, er, hard personal problem. Sara Benincasa has been that terrified student, that embattled employee, that confused teacher—and so much more. Her hilarious memoir chronicles her attempts to forge a wonderfully weird adulthood in the midst of her lifelong struggle with agoraphobia, depression, and unruly hair.

Relatable, unpretentious, and unsentimental, Agorafabulous! celebrates eccentricity, resilience, and the power of humor to light up even the darkest corners of our lives. (There are also some sexy parts, but they’re really awkward. Like really, really awkward.)

Agorafabulous! was a delightful read.  Sara’s very relatable, and it was fun to read her take on what it’s like to be agoraphobic and her struggles with anxiety and depression.  There were times when I couldn’t stop laughing, and it was great to see her (mostly) humorous look at what she’s been through.  It was pretty light-hearted, which I really liked, because it’s a nice change from a serious look at your past-type of memoir.

It was great to see that she made it through something that was so crippling for her, and it is inspiring to see her go from a student who’s scared to go to the bathroom to someone who leads a successful life and is able to manage any anxiety that comes up.

You get a look at why she didn’t leave her home- for her, staying home was the sensible decision because if she left, she’d die.  And honestly?  Her thought process makes perfect sense to me, and it really does show how horrible and debilitating anxiety can be.

I liked that you (briefly) saw what life was like before her crippling anxiety and life after.  It’s pretty focused on a specific time period time.  I liked that because you don’t get a long story about everything leading up to her college years and how getting treated for it was this life-changing event.  But a little more context would have been nice too.

Agorafabulous! was a fun read but also a little inspiring.  It gets a 4 out of 5.