Vain Blog Tour: Review and Character Interview and Giveaway

Vain (The Seven Deadly #1)

by Fisher Amelie

Published: December 24th, 2012

Publisher: Fisher Amelie

Kindle Edition, 355 Pages

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.--Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review: (Warning: May Contain Spoilers!)

May contain run on sentences! I have this thing where if I really liked a book I tend to blab on about it and it really shows in my writing. 

Even though I already predicted how the story will play out, it was still a really good read. There were a lot of twists in this novel that you don't want to miss. 

At first I disliked Sophie for being such a rhymes-with-witch, but then I felt sorry for her. In a way when someone acts the way Sophie Price does, you kind of have to feel a bit bad for them because they  don't have any real friends and no one to care for them, at least no one that they know of. Except in novels and on TV, the spoiled, mean people usually have that one person who is usually their servant who cares about them. In this book it was Pembrook. Although we didn't get to see much of Pembrook, the parts about him made him seem pretty awesome.

What drew me into reading this book was definitely the summary (see above). And because I have never read a YA novel that didn't have a romance aspect to it, I was intrigued by this book that claimed that it did was not a love story. But it actually was a love story, but I wasn't at all disappointed about that because once you got the love part of the novel, you were already rooting for Ian and Sophie. Even though I was rooting for Sophie and Ian, what happened to Spencer? We met Spencer at the beginning of the book and it seem like he and Sophie were going to be a thing, but NO! The weird thing is that the more Ian was featured in the book, the more I forgot about Spencer... :/ But I would love to read a book on Spencer. 

The majority of the novel takes place in Africa and I liked how the setting was important to the book. You know how sometimes a novel takes place in an uncommon area, but it seem like the novel could've taken anywhere and you even forgot where it was suppose to take place anyway?...Yeah I hate when that happens! But it didn't happen in this novel! Maybe it was just me but it seem like some of the things from the book seem to be alluding to the Kony disasters in Africa. hmmm...

Some advice: don't start this book if you can't finish it in a day! I started this novel pretty late at night, so like 10pm-ish and I couldn't stop reading it! Vain was one of those novels where you knew you had to do something else, like sleep, but you just couldn't until you finished the book. I finally finished the novel around 2am, but I had school the next morning, so I went to school on about 4 hours of sleep. BUT it was time well spent! 

My only (small) complaint was that the ending seem a bit unrealistic and rushed compared to the rest of the story, but it was still a great story! 

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Author Information:

Find Fisher on her blog here!

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Character Interview: Sophie Price

Did you think you believe in true love before Ian?

Great question. Absolutely, unequivocally no. I didn’t even know what love truly was until Uganda. I learned to love in Masego. I learned to love myself when I fell in love with the children. I learned I was worth being loved in return by the way Ian treated me. True love comes in many shades and my favorite color is Ian.

Why do you think you never thought of Spencer in a romantic way? He seems to be the only boy who cares about you besides Ian.

Spencer is simply not my fate. I knew that immediately. I tried to push it but even at my absolute lowest, I couldn’t commit to using him because he was so kind to me. Also, Spencer cares for me deeply but I don’t think he realized that, even to him, I was only meant to be his friend.

Why do you think your dad was so big on appearances? Do you think that was indirectly a way of taking care of you?

My father was the ultimate in selfish. Appearances to him were everything because it kept up the façade that our family were composed, stable and well-adjusted. It gave the impression that he made no mistakes.

Unfortunately it was not his way of taking care of me, which is sad. His motivation was nothing but selfish and my mother followed along because she wanted only to please him and him alone.

If you hadn't grown up rich, and thus get exiled to Africa, do you think you would've turned out the way you are today?

It’s hard to say. If I hadn’t been wealthy, I can’t imagine my parents would have focused so zealously on themselves so I might have had a somewhat normal upbringing but then again, that’s a game of ‘what if’s’ and I’m afraid of that game because, now that I’m at Masego, I couldn’t imagine a better place to end up.

After returning to the States, you realize that you were now very different from your old friends. Do you think you will still be friends with them?

They’ve made it quite clear that they wanted nothing to do with me. My old world is a fickle place. One small mistake and your group status can come toppling down. When your entire existence is about looking good, owning everything and comparing yourself to those around you, that becomes your life’s goal. So you can only imagine when their queen bee returns to them sans couture, sans attitude, sans an ego that you have a recipe for the gossip of the century. In other words, we will never be friends again unless they make a dramatic change within themselves.

Do you have any advice for our readers?

I’ll leave you with this quote.

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” - Mother Teresa

Giveaway:
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Date Me Blog Tour: ARC Review and Giveaway

Date Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #3) 

by Jillian Dodd 

Released: April 9th, 2013 

Publisher: Bandit Publishing

Event organized by: AToMR Tours 

I’m not scripting my life anymore.

I’m living it.

I’m done with the God of all Hotties. 

I’m going to give my heart to the boy who I think deserves it.

The boy whose kisses are hotter than molten lava. 

The boy who offered me the key to his heart.

The boy who asked me to Homecoming in a big, sexy way. 

There are so many things to look forward to. 

Parties at the Cave. Homecoming festivities. Drama Tryouts. Shopping trips to NY. 

But things aren’t always as perfect as they seem. 

I find out that my best friend has been keeping a secret from me. 

Not that I can blame him. 

I have secrets too. 

But, for now, I’m going to pretend I’m just a normal girl. 

I’m going to pretend he’s not still out there. 

I’m going to pretend he’s not getting desperate. 

I’m going to pretend I’ll never see him again. 

But, I will. And this time, I might not get away.--Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

Ok. It's officially, the Keatyn Chronicles are like Gossip Girl, but boarding school edition! (Note: I love GG!) Keatyn is like Blair and Serena all in one person! The scandalousness of the book keeps you on your toes and wanting more. Also you get to meet the rest of the Dawson's family! 

The book starts of where the last book, Kiss Me, ended. ugh... I just realized that I have to wait months for the next novel. :( Ok so back to the review. Actually this novel is so hard to review because 1.) it's the third in a series and 2.) the series is basically like a TV show, I feel like I'll just be blabbing on about a show no one knows about.  Solution: Read the whole series! 

There's a love triangle in this novel and I hate how, even on the third book, Keatyn can't make up her mind! Arghhh ughhh! This is why love triangle frustrate me so much! #TeamAiden

My only complaint about the novel is that Keatyn has become a bit whiney since the last few novels. 

Check out my reviews of the series: Stalk Me review / Kiss Me review

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N

About the Author:

Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy.

She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

Jillian Dodd | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAYS:

INTERNATIONAL:

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US ONLY:
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Review: Fast Forward by Juliet Madison

Fast Forward 

by Juliet Madison

Published February 1st 2013 

Publisher: Escape Publishing

eBook, 218 pages

Aspiring supermodel Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her 25th birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.

Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband, and hideous support underwear forever?--Goodreads

Awesome book! 5 Stars! 

Review

I accidentally came upon this book while on Goodreads and I ended up purchasing the novel and finishing it in one sitting!

Kelli comes off as conceited and a bit rude at first, but she grows on you! She was actually really funny. I laughed at her freak outs :) She tends to exaggerate a lot, especially when she went bungee-jumping with her son. Kelli's overly active imagination made this book a fun and light read. Thank goodness I didn't read this in public or otherwise people would think I'm a lunatic since I was smiling like a lunny for most of the book.

Since Kelli was sent to the future, there were tons of new technology. The technology were really cool! There was a built-in coffee maker in the car!!! The car had auto-drive! And it talks to you! I for one can not wait for the future :)

The novel was funny, but it also taught an important lesson. Reading this novel just made me appreciate life and all it has to offer. I'm the kind of person that constantly wonders what if? What if I turned in that assignment on time, would I've gotten a better grade in the class? What if I splurged and got that cute shirt? I'm also a huge planner. I have a plan for my future and intend to follow through with it. I also get stress out when things don't go according to my plans. The funny thing with life is that you never know. The only thing you can do is live your life and have fun doing so. As the kids would say, YOLO. (you only live once!)

Purchase this novel at: Amazon (Kindle)  / B&N (Nook) / KOBO

Things I Can’t Forget Blog Tour: Review of Things I Can’t Forget plus a Bonus

Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3) 

By Miranda Kenneally

Publication: March 1st 2013 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Format via NetGalley

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Some Rules Were Meant To Be Broken.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…--Goodreads

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions.

4 Stars

Review:

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel! Everything in this review are my own opinions.

I HATED Kate. I know this is an incredibly negative approach to writing a review, but just deal with it for now and let me explain. It took me most of the book to like her. I thought she was judgmental and she wasn't open to things. For Kate, everything can only be seen and done one way. I kept reading this book mainly because of the other characters, like Matt and Parker and Will. (BTW Parker and Will are from Stealing Parker, which is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series:) But the more I read, the more I hated Kate. There were parts were I liked her, but for the most part she wasn't a likable person. Then I got towards the end and really started to like Kate.

Ahhh Matt! All the guys in Hundred Oaks are awesome. But some of the guys stories I want to hear are Ryan's (Parker's older brother), Brian's (The coach from Stealing Parker. I wonder what happened to him), and Brad (from Things I can't Forget. Is he with Andrea now? I thought we didn't like her). Matt didn't judge Kate and did the cutest things for her, such as sleeping outside her cabin when she didn't want to sleep with everyone else at Dogwood. I really liked how Matt and Kate went to camp together when they were 11 and now found each other again! I'm such a sucker for cute things like that. :)

I love how Miranda Kenneally's novels are all about finding yourself and truly thinking about what YOU believe in. Kate was just trying to listen to what she was taught and when she didn't, she thought she sinned. Unlike the other Hundred Oaks novels, you might not like the protagonist right away, but she does make you think about your life and what you believe in.

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

About the Author:

Miranda Kenneally writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. She is also the co-creator of the website DearTeenMe.com. You can visit her at www.mirandakenneally.com or @mirandakennealy.

BONUS Part of the Post!

Top Ten Secret List - Learn about ten upcoming characters from THINGS I CAN'T FORGET and RACING SAVANNAH (Dec. 2013)

1. Kate Kelly: Kate is the heroine of THINGS I CAN’T FORGET. Kate is 18, a recent high school graduate, and she’s working as the arts and crafts director at a summer camp, where she meets up with Matt Brown, the boy who gave her her first kiss.


2. Matt Brown: Matt is the love interest in THINGS I CAN’T FORGET. Matt is 20, in a fraternity, and plays the guitar. He’s also training to run a marathon barefoot! He’s getting over a bad breakup with his ex-girlfriend when he meets Kate. Is Kate really the girl for him, or will dating again just lead to more heartbreak?

3. Emily Mansfield: Emily is Kate’s former best friend. They got into a fight after high school, and without her, Kate doesn’t know who she is anymore.

4. Ian Hot Boy With No Last Name: In THINGS I CAN’T FORGET, Ian is the wild crazy guy who cracks me up. He likes to fool around with his girlfriend in inappropriate places and refers to many people as “douches,” but he has a big heart and a soft side. I never gave him a last name, but I love him. Ha!

5. Parker Shelton: In STEALING PARKER, Parker doesn’t have many girlfriends. In THINGS I CAN’T FORGET, she doesn’t get along with Kate at first, but as they get to know each other, is there a chance for a real friendship?

6. Savannah Barrow: Savannah is the heroine of RACING SAVANNAH. She’s 17, a senior in high school, and she works at a high-stakes horse farm, doing everything from hauling hay to shoveling manure to mopping floors. She’s been living in the servants’ quarters all her life, but she wants nothing more than to become an exercise rider and work with the horses that compete in big races like the Kentucky Derby.

7. Jack Goodwin: Jack is the farm owner’s sexy son. Jack is being groomed to take over the farm one day, so his father makes him manage the estate and staff. Even though he’s attracted to Savannah, Jack knows he won’t be considered a responsible, gentlemanly farm owner if he goes after a member of his staff.

8. Marcus Winchester: Marcus is the villain of RACING SAVANNAH. Marcus is a rival farm owner’s son, and he has a past history with Savannah, which doesn’t make Jack too happy.

9. Rory Whitfield: Rory works on the horse farm in RACING SAVANNAH. He’s the younger brother of Will Whitfield (Corndog!) from STEALING PARKER. Rory lives next door to Jack and Savannah and he’s Savannah’s closest friend. Rory is in the drama club and wants to sell a screenplay to Hollywood.

10. Vanessa Green: Vanessa is the younger sister of Ty Green, the love interest from CATCHING JORDAN. Vanessa has a thing for Rory Whitfield… and is rather shocked that Rory has Star Wars sheets and sleeps with a Chewbacca stuffed animal.

Review: Kiss Me by Jillian Dodd

Kiss Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #2)

by Jillian Dodd
Published November 28th 2012
Publisher: Bandit Publishing
Kindle Edition, 299 Pages

I've always written scripts for my perfect life.

But no way could I have ever scripted this.

My life is so far from perfect, it’s not even funny.

All because of a stalker.

I’m at a boarding school where I have to lie about who I am.

I can’t see my family.

I’m tutoring a Hottie God that tortures me with his smile.

The most popular girl already hates me.

But there’s this boy.

This hot, sweet, sexy boy.

So I’m going to stop trying to script my life and just live it.

Because who knows how long I have left.--Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review:

Kiss Me picks up exactly where Stalk Me ended, kind of like the first book never end. So make sure you read the first novel! This series is shaping to be like Gossip Girl except boarding school edition, which is awesome because I love GG. This book definitely has a lot more going on than the first novel, meaning way more drama! Seems like Stalk Me was just the build up of the drama that is Kiss Me. By the way, why do boarding schools always seem so glamorous in novels and TV?

Keats and her parents are really tight. It's really nice that they get along, since most YA characters don't get along with their parents. It's pretty cool that she goes to her parents for relationship advice and that she listens to their advice. 

I knew there was a reason why I didn't like Brooklyn! After reading Kiss Me I don't like him at all! Brooklyn= yuke! I don't really understand why Keats is mad at Cush though. It's not like he betrayed her...

There's another love triangle. There always is.... Although I find love triangles overrated and overused, I do like this love triangle between Aiden, Dawson, and Keats better than other love triangles in the YA novel world. First off Dawson, hello that's the name of the character from the Lux series! And Aiden is the guy from the Covenant series! #JLA is the greatest! Sorry... the characters in Kiss Me just have really awesome names. I hate when both the guys in the triangle are both awesome because that makes predicting and deciding what guy she should end up with much harder.

I definitely liked Kiss Me better than Stalk Me. Maybe it was because I read both within a few days of each other, but I think it was because after Stalk Me I got to know the characters very well. I can't wait for Date Me(the third book)! Very sad/ mad/ excited that we have to wait until spring!!! April 15th come faster!

Purchase at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Kiss Me Blog Tour: Review of Stalk Me by Jillian Dodd and Giveaway

  Stalk Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #1)

by Jillian Dodd
Published September 1st 2012
Publisher: Bandit Publishing
Kindle version, 365 Pages
Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Gossip girl meets Hollywood in this new series by That Boy author, Jillian Dodd.

Keatyn has everything she ever dreamed of. Her life is following the script she wrote for the perfect high school experience. She’s popular, goes to the best parties, dates the hottest guy, and sits at the most coveted lunch table.

She’s just not sure she wants it anymore.

Because really, things aren’t all that perfect.

Her best friend is threatening to tell everyone her perfect relationship is a scam. 

Her perfect boyfriend gets drunk at every party they go to.

It’s exhausting always trying to look and act perfect.

And deep down, she isn’t sure if she has any true friends.

To add to the drama, her movie star mom’s long-time fan has turned stalker.

An older man is flirting with her and telling her they should make a movie together.

And she’s crushing on an adorable surfer. Dating a guy like him would mean committing social suicide.

So she writes a new script. One where all the pieces of her life will come together in perfect harmony. But little does she know, there’s someone who will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.--Goodreads

4 Stars

Warning: This review might be long!

So I decided to do something different. I saw Rosie, another of our YAN bloggers, do this update thing, where she would read then wrote what she thought about the book from what she had recently read. I decided to write my review of Stalk Me that way, so this review is longer than other reviews...

Day One: 17%
The beginning is really slow and I don't really like the voice of the main character. She mentally writes a screenplay of possible scenes that she wants to happen to her in her real life. At first it was cool and different from other novels I've read, but then it kind of got on my nerves. It wasn't that the scenes she imagined were weird, they just came off (at least to me) as vain and a bit obsessive. Ahhh it looks like bad news!

Update: But it wasn't!

Day two: 27%
As a character, Keatyn is really starting to grow on me. I realize that is the case for most of Jillian Dodd's novels, at least for me as a reader. Like in That Boy, I didn't like the novel right away, but since everyone was saying how they adored it and how it was one of the cutest novels that they have ever read, I decide to stick it out and finish the book. ( Note: Even Angie (fellow YAN blogger) liked That Boy and she hates contemporary, so Jillian Dodd's novel MUST have something spectacular about it.) I was really glad I did because all the characters grew on me, until I loved each and every one of them. That Boy got a 5 star rating out of me. LOL:) I'm hoping that it would be the same way with the Keatyn series. So far, Keatyn has been involved with two guys: Cush and Brooklyn. So far, I like both, but I like Cush slightly more.

Note to Keatyn: If an (more than 10 years) older guy is hitting on you, that SHOULD raise red flags!

Day three: 74%
Once you start really getting into this novel, you can't stop! By now, I like all the characters. Her parents are especially awesome! I really hate love triangles in novels. Keatyn and Cush or Keatyn and Brooks? Ok, a guy can't tell you what to wear and what not to wear! If he calls your outfit skanky, then obviously something is wrong in that relationship. I was so mad and annoyed that Keatyn was so indecisive and it kind of seem like she was stringing along the two! Ahh this is why I can't stand love triangles!

Keatyn's girlfriends were jerks through and through! I don't understand why she needed their "friendship."

So by now, I've gotten to the big conflict that gets Keatyn sent away. I have to admit everything in this novel is moving quite fast, almost like watching TV fast. I'm about 3/4 done the book and I like it.

Day four: 100%
My only complaint was that the book introduces so many new people. It wasn't that the new people didn't fit into the book, there were just so many people that I needed to know. As you can see from my reading process, it took me awhile to read the book, but once I got into it, I read pretty fast. If you find yourself not really liking the book, stick it out until about 40% through the novel because that's when I found myself liking the characters, and thus liking the novel. Overall, I liked this book, even though Keatyn was a bit of a frustrating protagonist.

I'm beginning to read the second novel to this series, Kiss Me, so look for that review soon-ish!

Purchase this novel: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Enter the Giveaway(s):

International:

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US/Canada ONLY:

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About the Author:


Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy.
She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

Jillian Dodd | Facebook | Twitter

Social Media links:
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goodreads
amazon author page
Keatyn Chronicles fan page
Keatyn Chronicles on Twitter

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Review: Dented Cans by Heather Walsh

Dented Cans 

By Heather Walsh

Published November 2nd 2012

Kindle Edition, 150 Pages

A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated—yet hilarious—trip to Disney World.

Sixteen-year-old Hannah Sampson knows her family is not what you would call normal. Her father compulsively buys dented cans and has a particular fondness for cans without labels, which are extremely discounted because their contents are a mystery. Her mother takes countless pictures of her family and then glues them down into the pages of her scrapbooks, but does not allow anyone to look at them. Ryan, Hannah’s mischievous fourteen-year-old brother, is headed straight for the remedial track at the local community college, if he’s lucky. Ben, her eight-year-old brother, is a walking sound effects machine, who prefers to communicate with noises rather than words. While Hannah is focused on escaping her working-class Connecticut suburb, she also finds herself being tugged back home as she worries about her brother Ben.

Hannah’s parents inflict one last family vacation on the Sampson children, a trip that goes comically wrong almost from the get-go. Hannah is forced to confront her family’s past in Disney World, of all places, when an emotional argument prompts her parents to disclose a secret they have been keeping from the children for sixteen years. Ultimately, she must decide whether to leave her hometown and not look back, or to focus on helping her family.--Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

Such an odd title, but I enjoyed it. But for most of the novel, Hannah, the main character, seems to be rambling. The events in the book keep jumping around it's hard to tell what Hannah wants us to know. Maybe she wants us to know everything or maybe she just wanted to make her case that her parents deserve the weirdest-parents-of-the-century award.

Her parent are definitely odd balls, but for most of the novel they didn't seem like parents to me. First off the way they treated their children. It was like the mom and the dad never stood up for their kids. Second, why were they so against Hannah getting a car? She was going to pay for it herself. It all worked out in the end, but still. And when Hannah asked if she could buy a car, the mom was all like "I have a headache" seriously? A headache just from one question? Third, I thought they were suppose to be poor, so why did they splurge on a trip to Disney? I get that their youngest child, Ben, is special needs, but they don't need another trip to Disney. Shouldn't they be saving for their children's college funds or their retirement fund or something? Parents in YA novels just piss me off... In the end, the parents kind of redeemed themselves... Kinda.

Rant about YA novel parents aside, I really liked how Dented Cans talked about typical problems a teen might experience such as meaningless sibling quarrels, wanting to get out of your small town, and trying to get your parents to understand you.

The ending was unexpected... I really liked how this novel was about family. It's really refreshing compared to the dozen upon dozens of YA contemporary novels about people coming from broken homes trying to find love in this harsh, harsh world. There's nothing wrong with those novels, I love those novels, but it's nice to have variety in your reading.

Note: This was definitely the most out there book I read in terms of characters. Dented cans? Who would have thought?

Purchase this novel at: Amazon (kindle or paperback)

Review: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Spark (Elemental #2) 
by Brigid Kemmerer
Published August 28th 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Paperback, 345 pages

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it.

And sometimes he can't.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. 

Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...--Goodreads

5 Stars!

Review: (Warning: Will have comparisons to first novel!)

Click HERE to check out my review of Chris' story from Storm.

In comparison to Storm, Spark did not have a confusing beginning. Since I read the first Elemental novel, I was familiar with the Elemental world, so if you are thinking of reading Spark, read Storm first!

The build up in Storm was a bit slow and boring, but the buildup in Spark was much more interesting. Maybe it's because Gabriel is a much more interesting person than Chris? (Hey just my opinion, we can agree to disagree :) Gabriel is a complete A-hole, but it's because he believes he killed his parents when he lost control of his fire element. The only person that knows Gabriel's secret is his brother Nick, who's novella I can't wait to read! The only friend Gabriel has is his (twin) brother, Nick. I found it really sad that Gabriel alienates people, but hey that's what's making this novel. I did not understand why Nick and Gabriel stopped talking in the first place. The conflict that broke them up was so small in comparison to other things that could've happened. If they are best friends and brothers, I felt that they should've/could've gotten past that conflict much quicker and easier than they did.

Layne's story was sadder than I expected. At first I didn't like her, but I didn't hate her either. I was annoyed with her though. I seem to be annoyed with characters that just want to blend in and because they have such low self-esteem, they are taken advantage of all the time. I just wanted to scream at Layne, sometimes. I mean come on! Stand up for yourself! I really did liked the kindness Layne showed her deaf brother, Simon. Gabriel was also nice to Simon! It was so sweet that Gabriel stood up to Simon's bullies for him! (Note: Guys can be really mean!)

The plot in this novel was wonderful! For some reason, I really like the idea of having an elemental power. (like in Avatar: The Last Airbender lol:)

Spirit (Hunter's novel comes out in May!) Can't wait for May! If you don't know who Hunter is, read the novels!!!

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Review: The Temptation by Alisa Valdes

The Temptation (Kindred #1) 

By Alisa Valdes

Publish: April 24th 2012 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Paperback, 320 pages

His touch was electric.
His eyes were magnetic.
His lips were a temptation....
But was he real? 

After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter.

Can true love surpass the power of pure evil? Part love story, part supernatural thriller, this first book in the Kindred trilogy will leave readers lusting for more!--Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

Ok so the synopsis is extremely cheesy, but this novel really surprised me because it was a really good novel. It was one of those novels that you finish reading and think that's it? Where's the rest of the book? I need to read the second novel! I'm the least patient person that I know, so waiting 6 months for the second novel is basically torture. 

The beginning for me was so slow. It took me a few days to get through the first 40 pages! But after that the story really picks up and it got really interesting.

Travis was kind of creepy in the beginning, but as his story unfolds (BTW: his story was were the problem stems off from) it explained the creepiness of Travis.

Random Thought: I would love to read a story from Randy's  (Travis' older brother who witness and remembered his father's death) POV. 

To me this plot was really unique. The elements that went into this story was extremely interesting. I like the idea of a Kindred and how ghosts can be a solid person.

Purchase this novel at: Amazon / B&N / TBD