Review: The Six Rules of Maybe

Title: The Six Rules of Maybe
Author: Deb Caletti
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary and Cover: 

Scarlet Hughes is overly involved in the lives of everyone around her, and exceptionally interested in the habits of her neighbors. But Scarlet is thrust solidly into her own life when her sister, Juliet, returns home from school—pregnant and surprisingly married to a sweet, handsome man whom she seems to have no interest in, but who is hopelessly in love with her. Forced to take a look inward for the first time, Scarlet discovers the necessity of dreams, as well as the necessity of facing reality and speaking the truth.

*I corrected the spelling of Scarlet's name. It's not with 2 t's, Goodreads.*

Thoughts:
Have you ever read a book and liked/disliked it, and you couldn't put your finger on why? That's kind of what it feels like for me with this book.

For The Six Rules of Maybe, I definitely closed the book with a strong like for it. Scarlet was a normal, teenage girl. I could honestly relate to her with her "designated listener" status and Introvert ways. I don't have a sister, so I can't say I've ever crushed on a brother-in-law. :) The way that she felt left out and a sibling received better treatment...oh, yeah! I could see that as a teenager.

Scarlet was worried through the whole book that her sister was going to leave her husband for the skeevy ex-boyfriend. She also thought her sister couldn't love this super sweet guy and thought he was more her type. Hey, even I developed a crush on Hayden! I loved the little notes Hayden left for Juliet. So did Scarlet...the little peeper! :) I don't blame her, though.

I loved that Scarlet had the relationships she did with the neighbors. The old, senile retired Postal Worker, the goth girl, the older couple next door who kept reading scam emails (LOL!), and even her dislike for the little boys and their mother.

There were 2 things that kind of bothered me about this book. One, the language. I understand that language sometimes "fits" the story. Some of the language in this one just felt forced and wrong to me. The other thing was the way that Scarlet and her friends just dropped each other over the summer. What kind of friend's mother tells her they should take a break because of a boy?!? Lame.

Rating:

Despite the language and the lapse of judgement of the girls' friendship, I really did enjoy this story. Finding out what Juliet's hold up was and the end...the bond that Scarlet and Hayden had...was special.

The Six Rules of Maybe satisfies part of the Completely Contemporary Challenge!

Review: The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Title: The Education of Hailey Kendrick
Author: Eileen Cook
Source: Purchashed

Goodreads Summary & Cover:

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Thoughts:
This was a super fun read! I enjoyed the character, Hailey. She has legit whiny reasons without being a whiny, obnoxious character.

I appreciated how she took the fall for the incident that happened without ever calling out the other party. She had compassion and no ill-will toward him.

The only thing that I found unbelievable was the relationship with Hailey and her best friend...and ex-boyfriend. If you've read the book, or read the book, you'll know what I mean. Maybe I'm just catty. Hehehe

Drew...working his way to Yale at a boarding school. He was a great guy and great for Hailey on her path of punishment and self-discovery.

This was my first Eileen Cook read and I will definitely be checking out more of her books!

Rating:

The Education of of Hailey Kendrick was a fun read. I enjoyed it and would definitely suggest it as a light and quick contemporary read.

The Education of Hailey Kendrick satisfies part of the Completely Contemporary Challenge!

Review: Virtuosity

Title: Virtuosity
Author: Jessica Martinez
Source: Borrowed from Library. I will be purchasing a copy!

Goodreads Summary & Cover:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.
Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

My Thoughts:
As a past music performer and competitor, I can say that this book was absolutely touching and so full of truth. The anxiety, the competitions, the always questioning yourself, etc...it is all so very real.

Carmen's journey through this book, dealing with Jeremy (her main competitor), and the anxiety and the medicine that went with it, had me connecting so well with her. All of these things happen to performers every day. You are given one chance and if you blow it, it's over.

Jeremy was such a cocky and arrogant doofus at first, but you grow to love him in no time. His competitiveness was just a different variety than Carmen's. Guys definitely handle things differently than females. After his question to Carmen about the competition, I felt so sorry for him. I felt sorry for Carmen, too! However, his apologies and truths made me love him all the much more.

Carmen's mother, Diana...OY!!! It makes me so very sad when parents don't let their children live and learn. Especially when it's something that wouldn't cause bodily harm or breaking the law. :) Just because she had an unfortunate career end, doesn't mean that she needed to micro-manage Carmen as she did.

Carmen's father and grandparents...OY!!!

Carmen's step-dad, Clark...LOVE him!!! He was a truly amazing person and dad for her. He gave her confidence, trust, and support that her mother should have.

Yuri...what an old, knowledgeable, and angry dude...who made me cry!

My Rating:

VIRTUOSITY absolutely blew me away! So moving and touching. So full of truth!

Martinez gave a new life to violinists and classical music to a new wave of readers.

Virtuosity satisfies part of the Completely Contemp Challenge!

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Source: Borrowed from my Library

Goodreads Summary & Cover:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

My Thoughts:
So...EPIC! Adored the journaling, scrapbooking pages, and the play lists in the book! Very clever.

The story starts out with Amy, who is living in her house alone. Her twin brother is away in rehab, her mother has moved to Connecticut to start a new job, and her father had been killed in a wreck just a few months prior.

Since the accident, Amy has not wanted to drive. Enter Roger. Roger is to drive Amy's mom's car and Amy to Connecticut. He has to spend the summer with his dad in Philly, so it just worked out conveniently.

They are given a route, with hotels lined up already. However, the two of them decide to throw caution to the wind and make their own route. Essentially, the route leads us to Roger's ex-girlfriend and him trying to find her since she won't answer his calls. Along the way, however, Amy and Roger develop a great friendship from spending so much time together. They know what each other likes to eat, music, drink, snacks...it's sweet.

Amy took most of the trip to finally reveal to Roger how her father died and the blame that she placed on herself for it. He made her truly understand that it was not her fault.

At the end of this book, I feel the need to jump in the car and do some driving. Maybe stop along the way and get myself a DQ Blizzard and find a cute guy to sit next to.

My Rating:

EPIC DETOUR!!!

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour satisfies a portion of the Completely Contemporary Challenge!

Review: The Sky is Everywhere

Title: The Sky is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
Source: Borrowed from my Library

Goodreads Summary & Cover:

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transfer from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding. This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

My Thoughts:
Well, sad, sad, funny, sad, sad. Jandy got quite a few tears from me!

Overall, I really did like The Sky is Everywhere. It's heartbreaking to lose someone that you love. I can't even fathom losing one of my siblings.

This was definitely a compelling book with a great recovery message. Grief takes you places you'd never thought imaginable. Also, when that ray of sunshine finally shines through, what a relief!

I am so glad that Lennie was able to grieve. She shared something with Toby, Gram, and Big that no one else could understand. It definitely took them time and awkward moments, but they came through. I adored the brotherly-sisterly bond that eventually seemed to have happened with Toby and Lennie.

Joe. When he showed up with the box of notes...I cried even harder. He really did understand.

Sarah -- what a great best friend! She wasn't pushy, didn't hold grudges, missed Bailey, and was there when Lennie needed her.

Rachel -- You're going down in September! Hehehe

My Rating:

The Sky is Everywhere satisfies a part of the Completely Contemporary Challenge!

Review: The List

Title: The List
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary:

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

My Take:
What a very interesting concept! This book nailed it! "It" being the existence of the hierarchy of high school beauty and the cruelness of it all.

Siobhan did something that I don't recall seeing before -- she told a story from 8 different girls perspectives. Not once did I get lost, either! Each girl had her own personality that stood out from the other girls.

By the end of the book, I was tearing up a little bit. The girls who had sisters and how their relationships turned after the list was heart-warming...and some heart-wrenching. The issue that Bridget has is such a big deal. I'm not glad it was a flaw with one of the girls, but I am glad it was in the book. So many young girls deal with weight issues and probably think the same things daily that Bridget did.

I like that we found out who created the list and why. However, I wanted to slap the person for all of his/her selfishness. (I can't give the sex away! :) )

Can I say a little "hooray!" for Danielle! Good for you!

Now, let's hope that seal gets buried somewhere. For good!

My Rating:

This was my first Siobhan Vivian read and I absolutely liked it! It was a great read!

The List satisfies both challenges I'm in - Completely Contemporary Challenge and the StandAlone Reading Challenge

Before I Fall Review

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Source: Borrowed from my Library

Goodreads Summary:

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Take:

Could you imagine dying and then reliving that same day 7 times? I definitely couldn't! I would be blabbering and not making sense to anyone and end up locked away.

Lauren Oliver has definitely written a beautiful book. Before I Fall had me laughing, thinking, crying, mourning, and appreciating everything and everyone in my life.

On that February 12th, Cupid Day, Samantha was killed in an accident. For the next 7 days, she relives that same day. Each day, she tries to change events that happened -- events that she tried to stop from happening at all.

Along the way of trying to stop things, she ended up realizing she had feelings for another guy besides her boyfriend. She realized that being popular, dating a popular guy, and doing all of the popular things weren't all that they were cracked up to be. I really appreciated that Sam's feelings for her friends didn't change in all of her discoveries and growth. Towards the end of the book, she even has a top 3 list for each of her BFFs about what she loves most about them. Such an endearing touch.

I thought that it was brilliant that each chapter in the book was the start of a new (repeated) day. When I saw a new chapter, I would get excited and wonder what this day would bring.

My Rating:

I truly feel touched after reading this book. I do believe that Lauren Oliver has a fan for life with me.

Before I Fall satisfies a portion of the Completely Contemporary Challenge (2010)!

Ditched Review

Title: Ditched: A Love Story

Author: Robin Mellom

Source: Borrowed from my Library

Goodreads Summary:

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. And then ditched her.

My Take:

Oh. My. Goodness! Poor Justina! What a night!

First, she starts her night off in a blue, shimmering prom dress. Not bad...until dyed matching shoes and a matching blue corsage are added. Never take mom's advice about big events when you're 17! Never!

After being left by Ian at the prom, I'm glad Justina had the Mikes, Serenity, and Bliss. The two girls from another school treated her better than the people at her own school. Serenity was the bomb!

All of the mishaps of the evening are hilarious! Ending up at the 7-Eleven, talking to two complete strangers about your night is just the icing on the cake. Gilda and Donna: therapists in their own right.

Barracuda. I nearly died laughing with the helmet, tighty-whities, and the freezing curiosity. Hahah!

So many YA books read and I've never come across dog-swapping before. But, essentially, this dog-swapping is what ruined Justina's night! Read the book -- you'll see!!

The only downfall to this book is the reputation that these girls get. So? She kissed two boys at a party 8 months ago. I don't like that she felt and was called a slut for her kissing game.

My Rating:

Ditched: A Love Story is an enjoyable read! This is a fun one to recommend for someone looking for a fun read about a disastrous night ending up all right. I am a sucker for happy endings. :)

Ditched satisfies a portion for both of my challenges: Completely Contemporary Challenge (CCC) and Standalone Reading Challenge (SARC).