Book Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

"A somewhat unbelievable tale but heartwarming nonetheless."

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 2011
Pages: 307
Series: standalone
Format: paperback
Acquisition: bought

Synopsis:

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

Told in verse and brimming with raw emotion and pure romance, this is a gracefully woven tale of life-changing secrets and unexpected friendship.

(from Goodreads)

Overall Feelings:
Heartbreak full of hope.

My Thoughts:
A somewhat unbelievable tale but heartwarming nonetheless. Told in verse, Amber shares the story of her day alone. Her life is about to change in a huge way and she needs to be alone for one last day. Her story was moving, as was the story of the mysterious boy she meets at the beach, but overall, a little too far fetched.

That's not to say I didn't really enjoy this book, because I did. Verse books are usually quick reads and a story that only encompasses 1 day in the life of 2 people, in my opinion, should not take all that long to read. For this reason, the verse prose was perfect.

Amber is facing a situation that really, very few (if any) people have faced before. She feels alone and betrayed and even though her family is expecting her to be in her bed that morning, she can't help but escape away. As a reader, we get small glimpses into her life - leading up to the 'big reveal' and the real reason she feels the need to run away.

On this solely remarkable day, Amber meets Cade who in fact is having a terrible day of his own. The two become friends in an instant, spend the day together and eventually share their stories.

In the end, the fact that Amber and Cade's stories were a little too much to believe was overshadowed by the raw emotion behind what was happening to them. Their struggles and the connection they manage to make in one day really made The Day Before a powerful read for me.

I'm really draw to book in verse and Lisa's are always fantastic. I would love to add all of hers to my collection.

Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Book Review: Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

***2012 Debut Author***

"A great book to read when you're in a slump"

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 432
Series: no
Acquisition: I borrowed a copy from my library

Summary:

My wish

is to fall

cranium over Converse

in dizzy, daydream-worthy

love.

(If only it were that easy.)

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father. By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up.

But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it? (for Goodreads)

My thoughts:
First off - woo hoo for the New Hampshire Love! Ok, so I guess Marcie isn't thrilled to be there but I still thought it was awesome.

The path that lend me to this book is worth telling. I saw a review and immediately thought - I must read this book! That almost never happens. Sure, I'll add to and remove books from my wishlist based on opinions of reviewers I trust but I can't remember the last time I had such an immediate reaction. That same day I went to my library and took home a copy. By the next afternoon I had finished and I couldn't have been happier!

Final verdict:
If you've never read a book told in verse, you really should give it a try. Love and Leftovers is such a sweet story and the verse really helped to suck me in. It's a feel good book. A great book to read when you're in a slump. A book to read when you can't decide what you're in the mood for.

I felt such a connection to the characters, especially Marcie. I really wanted her to be happy! I'm very glad things turned out the way they did and I'm looking forward to what else Sarah has in store for us!

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Author's website / Goodreads / IndieBound

Book Review: Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

***2011 Debut Author***
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 458
Series: no
Acquisition: received a copy for review

Summary:

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent. (from Goodreads)

I was: very, very happy I read it, even though contemporary tales usually aren't my thing.

My thoughts:
One of the first things that struck me about Audition is the fact that it is written in verse. One of the second things that struck me was the fact that, even if pages 3 - 458 were written in braille, I would have found a way to finish it. That's all it took - about 2 pages in and I knew I wouldn't be putting this book down any time soon.

I should probably stop saying that contemporary fiction really isn't my thing because time and time again, I have found myself really enjoying a non paranormal young adult book. Maybe my view of contemporary stories has been skewed by adult literature. Nay sayers be damned, I have yet to find a purely contemporary 'adult' book that I've liked more then the handful of YA contemps that I've read.

But I digress.

Audition is the story of a young girl trying to find her place in the world. She believes that studying ballet and moving away from everything she has ever known is the right thing to do. We, as readers find out that she is right but she is also very wrong. Audition is a journey with a lot of possible destinations. Not knowing now Sara's journey was going to end really brought life into the story for me.

Have to say, as much as I did enjoy the story. I wasn't too keen on some of the characters. Most notably Remington. I don't think I ever liked him. His relationship with Sara always felt a little wrong. Maybe it was the age difference, maybe it was because it was suppose to feel wrong. I'm not sure but, overall, he really didn’t' do anything for me.

Sara on the other hand was a character I felt fully attached to. Her world and her dreams are so removed from anything I have ever even thought about doing in my life but somehow I still felt a very strong connection to her. I cared about her as a person so that pretty much equals a really great read.

Final verdict:
A book I might not have picked up on my own. I will forever be grateful to Stasia for offering me a copy because now, not only do I have a fantastic new author on my radar, I have the satisfaction of carrying Sara's story around with me for quite some time.

Overall Rating:

4.5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Author's website
Goodreads
IndieBound