Introducing: Zero by Tom Leveen

Sites that are all about books are awesome and this is a given. Goodreads and LibraryThing are two of my favorites book sites, but there is another one that I also love RandomBuzzers! This is a site ran by Random House and is devoted to all things young adult. You can join discussion groups and book clubs, participate in Q&As with authors, read reviews, and find out about some of the newest and coolest books out there. On top of all these amazing things you get to participate in activities and take reading quizzes. When doing this you get points and with these you can go to the RandomBuzzers store and get advanced reader copies and finished copies of books and cool swag that is even sometimes signed. That said, I wanted to share the new video for the book Zero by Tom Leveen currently featured on the site. It looks cool and I can't wait to read it (also I get a few points for sharing it:))!



This book came out April 24, 2012 and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. She sounds like a troubled girl and I love it!

Description from Goodreads:

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.

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Title:  In Honor
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Adults -May 8, 2012
Length: 240 pages
Format: hardcover

Description from Goodreads:

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?


My Thoughts:

In Honor by Jessi Kirby follows the formula of many road trip books. Someone close to the main character dies and they decide to go on a road trip "in honor" of that person or just to clear their head. This one wasn't that different, but it was still good. Honor and her brother's ex-best friend Rusty go on a trip from Texas to California to fulfill her brother's last wish.  This road trip book kind of threw me for a loop because it didn't turn out/ go the way I thought it would. This is both a good and a bad thing. First for the good, I like when a book keeps me guessing and doesn't follow the typical path I have plotted out in my head for it to follow. Too many books these days are easily predictable. The banter back and forth between Honor and Rusty was hilarious and helped the book along a lot. I will say that I loved it taking place between Texas and California because I actually knew the places they were talking about! Some of my favorite parts were when they were in the '67 Chevy Impala and listening to the old rock tunes (Carry on My Wayward Son!). This reminded so much of the TV show Supernatural which is one of my favorites! I loved how they would mention off the wall little things, like how bad Honor's feet stunk when she would take her boots off! Her and Rusty had such good chemistry. That said, to say I was shocked at the way it turned out was an understatement. I think I was expecting more romance in the story and it just didn't deliver on that part and to be honest it was one of the main reasons I read it. As far as self discovery or learning more about her brother that didn't go as far as it could have either.  There was so much potential in the details and relationships of the characters, but it was kind of left dangling. This is a really hard book to explain without giving away too many details. Let me just say that when it ended I was left with the feeling of oh-that-was-cute-and-good-but-is-that-it? This book gets a 3 STAR rating.

Ascend by Amanda Hocking

Title: Ascend
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Trylle Trilogy #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 24, 2012) Reprint Edition
Length: 336 pages
Format: paperback

Description from Goodreads:

Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?
The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.
Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.


My Thoughts:

     Ascend is the last book of the Trylle Trilogy and what an ending it was. In the beginning of the series Wendy Everly was a selfish and overindulged girl who was slightly unlikeable. Ascend shows her complete transformation into a young woman who is both capable and ready to lead her people. In this installment Wendy has completely grown up. She is constantly thinking about Feorening and her loved ones so much that it  sometimes backfires on her. Her relationships completely evolve, especially those with Finn, Loki, and Elora. Ascend introduces a lot of background information on these characters. Some of them rose in rank and other seriously let me down. The importance that the love triangle (quadrangle...Tove?) between Wendy, Finn, and Loki plays a HUGE part in the story. To say that things turned out unexpected is an understatement, as in I didn't see it coming ..at all. This was a  pleasant surprise and one I enjoyed very much. I can't tell you how happy I was to see her end up with who she did.  Ascend also delivers much more information about Wendy's father and troll history that does a nice job of fleshing out the plot and mythoglogy surrounding the trolls. This adds a truly "troll" quality to a world that in my opinion slightly resembled the faerie world.
       Onto my picking apart the tinsy details of the story. Where Rhys was during the majority of the story is a mystery to me. I really enjoyed his character and missed him in the end. Secondly, the paperback version is slightly different than the original ebook version of the story. All I will say is that towards the end Tove admits to something that didn't originally happen. All I can ask is why? Why add this to the story? Other than that Ascend is by far the best book in the series and was a very enjoyable read. This book gets a 4 STAR rating.

The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

Title: The Car Thief
Author: Theodore Weesner
Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions
Length: 310
Source: Astor and Blue

Description from Publisher:

It’s 1959.  Sixteen year-old Alex Housman has just stolen his fourteenth car and frankly doesn’t know why.  His divorced, working class father grinds out the night shift at the local Chevy Plant in Detroit, kept afloat by the flask in his glove compartment and the open bottles of booze in his Flint, Michigan home.

Abandoned and alone, father and son struggle to express a deep love for each other, even as Alex fills his day juggling cheap thrills and a crushing depression. He cruises and steals, running from, and to, the police, compelled by reasons he frustratingly can’t put into words.  And then there’s Irene Shaeffer, the pretty girl in school whose admiration Alex needs like a drug in order to get by.  Broke and fighting to survive, Alex and his father face the realities of estrangement, incarceration, and even violence as their lives hurtle toward the climactic episode that a New York Times reviewer called “one of the most profoundly powerful in American fiction.”

My Thoughts:

     The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner is a unique book in this day and age. Taking place in the late 1960s, Alex is a troubled young man set on survival and nothing will hold him back. Through Alex's character readers are introduced to a very real way of life that some kids actually have to live. A broken home, addiction, crime, punishment, and the chance at redemption are just parts of the multifaceted gem that is The Car Thief. Alex is the "bad boy" who is much deeper and more complex than a lot of people give him credit for. He is the type of character that although clearly in the wrong readers will root for him in hopes of becoming the person they see inside. Alex isn't the only character who will resonate with readers. The inadequacies of a father and yearnings of a younger brother help explore the complex system that is the male relationship. This is the type of character and the type of book that are ageless in the literary world. One that in despite of taking place almost 50 years ago is still relevant today and will continue to be so.
     There isn't much to critique in The Car Thief. The beginning of the book might be a little confusing and hard to get into at first. Secondly the inner musings and descriptions also tend to drag at points and slow down the pace of the book.  Overall, these few things do not detract too much from the story. The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner is a book that shouldn't be missed if you are at all interested in the human condition or the ability to overcome adversity. This book gets a 4 STAR rating.

***Extras: Courtesy of Astor + Blue Editions***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theodore Weesner, born in Flint, Michigan, is aptly described as a “Writers’ Writer” by the larger literary community.  His short works have been published in the New Yorker, Esquire, Saturday Evening Post, Atlantic Monthly and Best American Short Stories.  His novels, including The True Detective, Winning the City and Harbor Light, have been published to great critical acclaim in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s, The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Magazine and The Los Angeles Times to name a few.

Weesner is currently writing his memoir, two new novels, and an adaptation of his widely praised novel—retitled Winning the City Redux—also to be published by Astor + Blue Editions.  He lives and works in Portsmouth, NH.

Want to know more about The Car Thief and get your own copy? Click this link (http://astorandblue.com/the-car-thief/) and it will take you to the publisher's website where you can get The Car Thief no matter the e-reader you use.

~This book was provided to me free of charge in a digital arc by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. The information provided about the book is courtesy of Astor + Blue Editions.

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston GIVEAWAY!

 I said I would post a review of Wondrous Strange, but I'm worn out from finals week last week and have a ton of review books to get through....so I'm doing a givaway instead! What is up for grabs? A paperback copy of Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston! I went to the store and bought it a couple of weeks ago. Since then its just been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to re-read it, but time is short. It needs a new home. The contest is open to all US residents 16 and older! Just complete the parts of the Rafflecopter form below and you're entered. You have until the last day of May to enter...GO!

                                       

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Break

My finals were finished on Friday! After four history papers (one of them was a thesis paper!) and a math test my brain hurts. That said, this week is going to be a break for me. I won't be posting any book hauls, reviews, or participating in memes. This week is going to be a week for letting the brain rest and reading those tiny romance novels that are entirely too happy. I will post the winner of The Hunt giveaway on Wednesday and get that mailed out. Have a great week reading and see you next week!


Brandi

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Title: Keep Holding On
Author: Susane Colasanti
Publisher: Viking Juvenille (May 31, 2012)
Length: 224 pages
Source: LibaryThing Early Reviewers
Format: Advanced Reader Copy- paperback

Description from Goodreads:


A romantic and empowering book about bullying

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

My Thoughts:

Noelle is a girl who has had a tough break in life. Her father is an addict who left when she was young, her mother simply doesn't care, she is poor, malnourished,has low self esteem, a hidden relationship, and very few friends. Susane Colasanti has created a character that you can't help but feel sorry for and wish you were there to be her friend. That said, this short book packed in a little too much. On top of everything listed above Keep Holding On also touches on rape, tons of bullying, teen suicide and has the classic most-popular-boy-falls-for-outcast-girl senario happening. It seemed as if the author was trying to pack in every negative experience and cliche someone could have in high shool in a little over 200 pages. The way everything was tidely wrapped up in the end was also slightly unbelievable. The conflicts were resolved, the "bad guys" were a little deeper than we thought and got "theirs" in the end, and the "good guys" lived happily ever after. After having said all of this the book wasn't horrible. Keep Holding On touches many harmful aspects that go ignored everyday, that if someone would take the time to care about could be solved. Although the characters in the book are older teens this would probably appeal more to those in the 12 to 15 year old range. Keep Holding On is a book that makes you examine the way you treat/ed others in school and look to see what you could/ve done differently. I give this book a (just made it) 2 1/2 STAR rating.

**I was provided this book by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest opinion.