Something Like Normal Review

Author: Trish Doller

Release date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 224

How I got it: For review via netgalley

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero. 

Something Like Normal is the best 2012 contemporary I've read so far this year. That's saying something, but I have no doubt in my mind that it's a completely true statement.

The fact that this book is YA makes me happy. This could've easily been marketed towards adults but I'm so glad it wasn't. I'm so glad I can shove this book into the hands of YA-naysayers in the future knowing they will say nay no longer because Doller does not hold anything back. SLN is even more heart-pounding intense than I expected it to be, which is saying something. This book is full of solid, real emotion that I appreciated and identified with.

Because of said intensity and emotion, the character it revolves around, Travis, is kinda screwed-up in a few ways. Despite that (or perhaps partially because of it?) I quickly and fully invested in his character. And I was so happy when Harper was introduced because she is just what he needed. She's tough but sweet, and that's also exactly how I'd describe their relationship. It really helped lighten the novel just the touch it needed. Another relationship I really enjoyed was the growing one between Travis and his mom.

Also, let my just point out another thing that stood out to me: the obvious knowledge Doller had on the subject of the marines. (Of course, that could be because that had been pointed out to me before I read it.) I devoured Something Like Normal as fast as possible, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. This one is a must-read for all contemporary fans.

Plot: Unlike anything I've ever read and I loved that.

Characters: Each is fully developed and lovable.

Writing: Great.

Ending: I was worried I wouldn't get closure, but I did and YAY.

Kid friendly? There were mentions of sex, drugs, drinking, and swearing.

Overall:

Good luck prying me away from this one.
Something Like Normal was a wonderfully crafted contemporary that invaded my thoughts even when I wasn't reading, and I had to stay up late into the night to finish it.

Waiting on Wednesday

This week I'm waiting on...

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

"Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother."

The Program by Suzanne Young

"Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. "

Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill

"But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number!"

The Dead and the Buried by Kim Harrington

"Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school -- until her untimely death last year."

Howl's Moving Castle Review

Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Release date: August 21, 2001 (First printing: 1986)
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pages: 329
How I got it: Library 

In which a witch bewitched the hatter's daughter--and then some... 

Sophie lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in which anything could happen, and often did--especially when the Witch of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often. 

As her younger sisters set out to seek their fortunes Sophie stayed in her father's hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery. 

Now Sophie must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle, taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on. Which was more than Sophie bargained for...

I want to love fantasy, I really do. ...But I just don't. Fantasy novels rarely ever hold my attention, and Howl's Moving Castle was not the exception. I enjoyed the characters and the quirky humor Wynne-Jones effortlessly infused into the story, but I just seemed to find myself all too willing to put it down.

I'll start with my favorite part of the novel: Sophie.What a wonderfully feisty heroine! Even when she's an old lady, does she ohhh I don't know, curl up in a ball and the woods and then stare out a window for four months. NOPE. She's like, "K." and does what needs to be done. She was so cool.

The plot had a lot going on. Maybe it seemed like that because I wasn't fully invested in it to begin with, but that's just my opinion. However, it all tied together in the end, which was really cool. But still. A lot going on.

Howl's Moving Castle is a classic YA fantasy, but sadly it wasn't for me. While I in no way disliked this novel, I did end up finding myself indifferent throughout the book. However, if you haven't read this yet, I'd still recommend it so you can experience Wynne Jone's clever writing style and story-telling. Also because it's one of my best friends all time favorite books.

Plot: Seemed kind of scattered, but elements of it were cool.

Characters: Sophie was awesome. Michael and Calcifer were pretty cool too, and while sometimes I found Howl annoying I did like him.

Writing: Really good.

Ending: Tied everything up nicely.

Kid friendly? Very!

Overall:

I put this one down a LOT.

Yep, sorry Sophie, your story just didn't hold my interest and adoration like I wanted it to, but I have mad respect for you and your author. And if I ever grow to like fantasy, I'll totally give you another try.

The Downsides to Being a Reader

• Being tired because I stayed up late reading last night.
• That feeling I get when I finish one of my favorite series.
• The lack of room for all of my books.
• Feeling like I have nothing in common with a person when I find out they don't read.
• Trying to remember the plot of that book I read two years ago when the sequel comes out.
• Laughing to myself like a weirdo while reading...in public.
• Nearly crying--as I never full-on cry--to myself like a crazy person...in public.
• It's probably the main reason I had to get glasses, according to Mr. Eye Doctor.
• People in real life usually don't measure up to the people in books.
• Everyone makes assumptions about me when they hear I'm a reader. (Like, "Omg she's a homeschooled reader she's a freak kids pretend like you can't hear her." ((Not that anything like that's happened to me. But I can SEE the fear in their eyes.)

...Those were all I could come up with. Obviously, I feel the positives outweigh the negatives. A lot.

And now, here's a picture of a German Shepard enjoying said positives:

Credit

Unbreak My Heart Review

Author: Melissa Walker
Release date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 240
How I got it: E-galley for review via publisher 

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

I must apologize to all YA romance, because here's the harsh truth: I will always compare you to Stephanie Perkins novels. I really am sorry because I know it's not fair but I can't help it, I just love them so! And Unbreak My Heart didn't get me nearly as warm and fuzzy as Perkins' books did, but it was a cute book that wasn't too bad.

My main problem with it would be the main character, Clementine. She has several traits that in theory would make me love her, like a love of reading, awesome music, and Dr Pepper, but she just seemed a little stupid and a little too wrapped up in herself. Her growth was nice, but by the end I still didn't love her like I wanted to. I did like her love interest James, though that probably had something to do with his red hair that gave me the ability to rightfully imagine him as Rupert Grint. Their romance was sweet and smile-inducing, but nothing spectacular.

Walker's writing style is light and easy to read, with some particularly good passages. It's obvious that she did her research on sailboats or has had some experience with them, and I definitely appreciated that. Although, some of the jokes she made fell completely flat for me. I think it was just a case of having a different sense of humor than the author.

Something else I must comment on was how nice it was to read about a functional sister-duo. Clem's little sister Olive can be a tad annoying, but both of the girls are kind and loyal to each other 'til the end. So despite a few qualms I had with Unbreak My Heart I did end up enjoying it a decent amount, and if you're looking for a cute, light read I wouldn't steer you away from this one.

Plot: Kinda typical, but done pretty well.

Characters: Clem was rather annoying, but I liked Rupert James, and Olive too.

Writing: Easy and fun.

Ending: Predictable but nice.

Kid friendly? Light swearing, and brief mentions of making out.

Overall:

I'd put the book down, but I didn't not like it.

Nothing about Unbreak My Heart was especially remarkable, but none of it was bad either, making it a slightly-above-average read for me. If you're a fan of YA romance, give it a go, but maybe get it from the library.

Zero Review

Author: Tom Leveen
Release date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 304
Publisher: Random House
How I got it: For review via Netgalley 

For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun—plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn't materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero's parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she's so much more than a name.

Zero didn't expect any kind of romance to happen during her Summer of Suck, but she also didn't expect Mike. Their relationship and what came of it was a ride I enjoyed taking with them, even if I was left emotionally underwhelmed at the end of the novel.

Zero's funny and self-deprecating voice carries the book in the best of ways, and her and Mike play off each other really well. Both of the characters have their own problems yet they're both compassionate towards each other and everyone else around them; which is exactly what ensures you'll root for them and their love 'til the very end. Of course, I would've liked to know more about Zero's best and only friend, Jenm because it seemed like she had as much going on in her life as Zero did.

Zero's home life was also a huge aspect of this story, and one that could be dark but also realistic and hopeful. The strained yet present connection between Zero and her mom was one of my favorite parts of the story, especially as it grew and grew.

Another main aspect of this story was Zero gaining self-confidence in every area of her life. A lot of teens need that kind of story in their lives, and Zero is a great way to introduce it with getting all preachy or condescending. Zero isn't a novel that gripped me and captured my love, but it was an enjoyable albeit predictable novel that I'd recommend to contemporary fans that hear "punk rock romance" and wonder why no one's thought of this before.

Plot: A welcome twist on the classic girl-meets-hot-drummer story with a decent pace.

Characters: Zero and Mike are the only characters we get to know, but I enjoyed them.

Writing: Good.

Ending: I wish there had been more closure.

Kid friendly? There's sex and swearing.

Overall:

I'd occasionally put it down, but I did less and less the further I got into it.

Zero was a heart-warming story that had enough edginess to keep me from gagging, but for me that's kinda all it was.

Some Tunes and a Teaser

I'm about to head off to my local library where I volunteer every week for two hours. The librarians are really nice and I genuinely love it, especially shelving books. Sometimes I love it less, like when I'm asked to open all of the audiobooks to see if any CDs are missing, but either way I get to spend two hours in the library, so yay.

Anyways. It's Tune In Tuesday at GReads, which is something I love to participate in because music is my second love next to books. My picks for this week would be:

The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit

Bigger Than Us by White Lies

Wake Up by Arcade Fire

Hell by Tegan and Sara

Also, there's Teaser Tuesday. I just finished Shine last night, so I guess you guys are getting a teaser from my current e-book read, 13 Little Blue Envelopes:

"They left the smoke of the bar and stepped back into the fog. Keith walked her along a different route, once she would never have been able to find on her own, to the glowing red circle with the bar cutting through it that read underground. 

"So you'll be back tomorrow?" he asked. 

"Yeah," she said. "Tomorrow."

 Not the most exciting teaser, but it's hard to find a good one on an e-reader.

(Oh and also, the winner for the Fated audiobook has been picked and I'm about to email her now.)