*REVIEW* For the Record

Released today: For the Record by Charlotte Huang...

Synopsis:
Chelsea thought she knew what being a rock star was like . . . until she became one. After losing a TV talent show, she slid back into small-town anonymity. But one phone call changed everything 
 
Now she’s the lead singer of the band Melbourne, performing in sold-out clubs every night and living on a bus with three gorgeous and talented guys. The bummer is that the band barely tolerates her. And when teen hearthrob Lucas Rivers take an interest in her, Chelsea is suddenly famous, bringing Melbourne to the next level—not that they’re happy about that. Her feelings for Beckett, Melbourne’s bassist, are making life even more complicated.
 
Chelsea only has the summer tour to make the band—and their fans—love her. If she doesn’t, she’ll be back in Michigan for senior year, dying a slow death. The paparazzi, the haters, the grueling schedule... Chelsea believed she could handle it. But what if she can’t?

For the Record is one of those books that completely ensnares you... once I started reading it, I was powerless to put it down! Pesky sleep interrupted me briefly but I seriously inhaled this book in a day. And I have a toddler at home! Thank the fates I read this during summer break while off of work or I would have been having to sneak reading this one under my desk!

For the Record introduces us to Chelsea, a teenage girl fresh off a reality singing competition. Chelsea gets the opportunity of a lifetime to replace the lead singer in an established band. Chelsea knows that this tour has to be perfect... her future and career are riding on it. The only problem is that not all of her new bandmates are happy with her addition to the crew. This becomes more of an issue when Chelsea captures the eye of one of the biggest teen actors of the moment and their tour becomes a bit of a circus... and there's also the issue of the sparks Chelsea thinks she feels with one of the guys in the band... sparks expressly forbidden. Travel around the country with the likeable Melbourne in this fantastic and addictive tale by Charlotte Huang.

I love this book!!!! Like I said above, I couldn't put it down for the life of me. I was really, really sad to see it end and that's the trademark of a fantastic book. I'd really love to see Huang write a sequel.

*REVIEW* The Lies About Truth

Released today: The Lies About Truth by Courtney Stevens...

Synopsis:
Sadie Kingston, is a girl living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can’t move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent’s brother, Max.

As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.

I wasn't over the moon excited to read this one but boy, am I glad that I did! The Lies About Truth is a wonderful story about grief, forgiveness, moving on, learning to live with emotional and physical scars, and healing. It's human nature and left me feeling hopeful.

The Lies About Truth introduces us to Sadie, a girl who survived a horrendous car accident that took her friend's life. Sadie is horribly scarred and struggles to accept her new physical reality... helping her with this is her newfound relationship with Max, the brother of the friend she lost. 

Sadie struggles not only with the physical recovery but with the emotional one as well. Losing Trent has started a domino effect that damages the friendships she has always been able to count on. Will Sadie be able to forgive those closest to her and herself for everything that has led to them being where they are now? Can you ever really turn back the clock and regain who you once were? Find out in this uplifting and heart tugging tale by Courtney Stevens.

I really did enjoy this one. Sadie is damaged but relatable... she's not one of those damaged souls that you end up annoyed with, thinking "okay, you really need to move on now." Sadie takes you on her journey with her and you really feel her emotions and pain and that makes it so easy to root for her. This is a really great story about forgiveness, friendship and loss. Highly recommend.

                

*REVIEW* The Unquiet

Released yesterday: The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett...

Synopsis:
For most of her life, Lirael has been training to kill—and replace—a duplicate version of herself on a parallel Earth. She is the perfect sleeper-soldier. But she’s beginning to suspect she is not a good person. 

The two Earths are identical in almost every way. Two copies of every city, every building, even every person. But the people from the second Earth know something their duplicates do not—two versions of the same thing cannot exist. They—and their whole planet—are slowly disappearing. Lira has been trained mercilessly since childhood to learn everything she can about her duplicate, to be a ruthless sleeper-assassin who kills that other Lirael and steps seamlessly into her life.

Wow, The Unquiet is a disturbing and interesting ride, that's for sure! I've never read anything similar to this and was really blown away by how CREEPY it all is. Can you imagine never knowing for sure if the people around you are who they claim to be? Any minute, a loved one can be stripped away from you and replaced by an alternate. CREEPY!!!! I really enjoyed this debut novel by Mikaela Everett. Girl knows how to spin a thought-provoking and chilling tale!

THE UNQUIET introduces us to Lirael, a "cottage girl" and sleeper training to take over the life and identity of her alternate on the other Earth. Lirael has been trained in a variety of cold and cruel methods that leave her feeling empty inside. When the time comes to infiltrate her new life, Lirael finds that it's not as easy as she thought it would be to not only fool everyone else, but to fool herself as well. Because shockingly, Lirael is beginning to feel things she never thought possible...

Shocking events, friendships, betrayals and more await readers as they delve into the creepy world that Mikaela Everett created. A heartbreaking twist will break the hearts of those reading this tale and this book will stay with readers long after they've read the final page. A wonderful and addicting debut from a promising new talent.

I highly recommend this book to others. You'll end up feeling weirded out in the best way possible and Lira is the type of character anyone can get on board with. Scoop this one up as soon as you can. Enjoy!

           

*REVIEW* What We Saw

Released today: What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler...

Synopsis:

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.

I really didn't expect to like this one as much as I did because the subject matter is just so uncomfortable but I think that a really good book forces you out of your comfort zone at times, forces you to think about unspeakable acts and how you would feel and react if placed in a similar situation. What We Saw will definitely make you stop and think about right and wrong, falling in line or standing up for what you believe, and the sad prejudices that remain about women in the country and whether or not their actions, their clothes, their behavior opens them up for sexual assault. Don't read this one if you're not prepared to think about serious social implications.

What We Saw follows along Kate, a soccer star at her high school who left a party because she was wasted. Luckily, her long-time childhood friend and crush was there and took her home before she could do anything that she regretted. Unfortunately for a fellow classmate, this was not the case for everyone. Stacey... the girl who claims that several star basketball players sexually assaulted and raped her at the party when she was too drunk to give her consent sets off a war in their small town, a town ruled by the fans of their state championship-bound basketball team. People are told to keep quiet and their small town becomes a media circus over night. Kate cannot shake the feeling that the truth needs to come out... but will knowing what happened give her peace or drive her away from everyone, and everything, she's ever known? A gripping and compelling tale based on real events that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

This book is definitely one that should be placed on your TBR list immediately. I was appalled by the actions of some of the people in this book and the sad thing is, you hear about these kinds of things on the news all the time. It really makes you stop and think... what is rape? What is true consent? And is a girl or woman or anyone for that matter ever "asking for it" based on their appearance or behavior? How can "no means no" be the standard when some people are not in the mental state to form words? Wonderful topic that truly deserves to be addressed. I applaud Aaron Hartzler for a look into this, a look that young adults are likely to take because this book is engaging and necessary. My only, and I mean only, dislike about this book is Kate's inability to forgive what she views as a major betrayal. I personally see things a little less black and white and would have liked to see her and this other individual be able to move past the "betrayal" and form a stronger relationship afterwards. But that's just me... all in all, this book deserves space on your TBR shelf. You won't be disappointed!

                 

*REVIEW* Mirrored

Released today: Mirrored by Alex Flinn...

Synopsis:
A modern, multi-generational tale of Kendra, the witch from "Snow White," who trains Violet, an ugly, lonely, and heartbroken girl in the 1980s who transforms herself into "the fairest one of all" but still cannot win Greg's heart, and Celine, Greg's daughter with Violet's high school rival, Jennifer.

I've only read one other Alex Flinn book and I liked it and her ability to modernize an old school fairytale. I was really excited about Mirrored because who doesn't love the story of Snow White? I think she did a good job creating a cute, easy to read retelling of a classic. Were some parts a little over-the-top? Yes. Is this book world changing, one that will stay with you forever? Nope. It's still an enjoyable, solid and fun read.

Mirrored introduces us to Violet, an extremely homely girl constantly bullied and picked on by her classmates. Her only friend is Greg and Violet harbors quite the crush on him, a crush that continues even after Greg dumps their friendship to become part of the in crowd. Enter Kendra, a witch who takes Violet under her wing and suddenly Violet has the power to change everything... she becomes the most beautiful woman in the world. Until Celine is born many years later...

Celine is Greg's daughter and after her mother tragically loses her life, Violet becomes her stepmother and she's quite the evil one. A tragedy unhinges Violet's grasp on sanity, forcing Celine into hiding with unlikely allies. Will Violet get the ultimate revenge or will true love save Celine? All is revealed in this modern retelling of the classic Snow White.

As I said above, this book is far from perfect. The teen idol thing was absurd but this book isn't trying to take itself seriously so neither should you. It's cute, quick to read, and worth the time. Enjoy!

                                

*REVIEW* Truest

Released today: Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers...

Synopsis:
Silas Hart has seriously shaken up Westlin Beck's small-town life. Brand new to town, Silas is different than the guys in Green Lake. He's curious, poetic, philosophical, maddening-- and really, really cute. But Silas has a sister-- and she has a secret. And West has a boyfriend. And life in Green Lake is about to change forever.

Truest is one of those books that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. I read it in a day because I couldn't drag myself away from the story. It's romantic, sad, moving, hopeful, and haunting all in one. What a wonderful debut from a very promising new author!

Truest  introduces us to Westlin Beck, local pastor's daughter and small-town girl, and Silas Hart, a mature, introspective, and philosophical boy so different from other teenage boys that West knows. They begin a partnership one summer that turns into a friendship and possibly so much more... West begins to experience things she had only dreamed of before. The gray cloud on West and Silas's horizon is Silas's twin sister, Laurel. Laurel has a secret... one that threatens to tear not only herself, but her family apart. Right when things seem to be right as rain, a shocking event will send ripples through their small community. Will West and Silas's connection be able to survive the worst, or are some things just too much to overcome? All is revealed in this stunning and highly addictive debut from Jackie Lea Sommers.

*sighhhhhh* I really, really enjoyed this book. One, it was nice to read about teenagers with individual, intelligent, and unique thoughts going on upstairs. I work in a high school and sometimes got to say, some maturity in teenagers is a welcome change! Since I also have a background in psychology, I was fascinated with Laurel and her "secret". I don't want to spoiler anyone, but it's definitely an interesting thing she's got going on. 

All in all, this book is a SOLID read that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Even though I finished it several days ago, it's still with me and THAT is the mark of a truly great book.

              

*REVIEW* The Creeping

Released today: The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy...

Synopsis:

Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she's over it. She's the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it's her small town's ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She's got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them.

The Creeping is an appropriate title for this book because it definitely creeped me out. It really wasn't what I expected it to be either, the synopsis is sufficiently vague and the story keeps you guessing for quite awhile. Even though it's really long, it will keep you engaged until the end.

The Creeping introduces us to Stella, a teenage girl with a mysterious past... Stella was the one that came back from the woods that day when she was six while her friend Jeanie was never seen again. Stella can't remember a thing about that day and when awful things start happening in their town again, she knows that it's time once and for all for her to figure out what happened so long ago. Betrayal, friendship, new love, and shocking and gruesome discoveries await in this creepy tale by Alexandra Sirowy.

I liked this one but abducted children makes me extremely squeamish now that I'm a parent. That being said, I thought it was a good mystery/thriller and it kept me flipping pages. Definitely worth a read.