Book Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Hey friends!

So recently YA author Courtney Summers started the hashtag #ToTheGirls. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so now. It was a HUGE movement and was even mentioned on the Today show! What it boiled down to was this: On April 14th people took to social media to tell girls across the world that they are seen, heard, and loved. They shared advice, offered encouragement, and told those who'd made a difference in their lives, thanks. It was AWESOME! 

Needless to say, I was inspired to read some of Courtney Summers' books. She writes dark, gritty YA stories that deal with topics such as rape, bullying, and grief. I headed to my local library and checked out SOME GIRLS ARE and FALL FOR ANYTHING. Her newest book ALL THE RAGE just came out and I can't wait to read it.

SOME GIRLS ARE is about a girl named Regina who is a part of the popular group at her small town high school. Regina's a follower, letting herself be led around and told what to do by the leader of her clique, Anna. And Anna is a bitch. She bullies people for no good reason other than that she can. 

Over the years, Regina and Anna and the others in their group have hurt and isolated several kids at their school, including the new boy Michael, the sweet girl, Liz, and the overweight girl, Kara. Kara is the girls who is always on the outside looking in, begging to be part of the in-crowd. She despises Regina more than anyone for always doing Anna's dirty work and never letting her hang out with them.

One night when Regina's boyfriend Josh throws one of his typical blowout parties, Regina is assigned to be designated driver. She spends the night taking care of Josh and wishing she too can be drunk so she can just get through another night of the same old shit. As it is, she already has a hard time eating because she hates herself so much for being too weak to stand up to Anna and too ashamed to apologize to the people she's wronged. 

When all her friends disappear for the night and Josh and Anna pass out, Anna's boyfriend, Donnie, forces himself onto Regina, trying to rape her. She manages to get away and ends up at Kara's house. Kara, who she doesn't like. Who doesn't like her back. But Kara is totally nice, offering kind words and hearing her out. Regina tells Kara what happened with Donnie and Kara convinces Regina to keep her mouth shut about it. It will just cause too many problems, Kara says. But then the next day at school, Regina learns that Kara told everyone she slept with Donnie. And just like that, Regina is out of the group and Kara is in. And the whole schools knows it. They revel in it--one of the mean girls finally getting exactly what she gave to everyone else. And Kara...well, she's finally gotten what she always wanted and she isn't about to let Regina off easy. And so the bullying begins.

Regina spends months being the brunt of everyone's joke, constantly humiliated and shoved around and harassed. The girls and guys will stop at nothing to make her pay for what Kara says she did--and all because Anna tells them to. 

No matter how she responds or what she says, Regina can't get them off her back. So she takes solace in hanging out with Michael, who doesn't like her because she bullied him on Anna's demands, but who miraculously takes pity on her and lets her sit with him at lunch. Meanwhile, Liz makes sure to let Regina know that this is how it feels to be on Anna's bad side. This is exactly what Anna and Regina did to Liz not so long ago, driving her to near suicide. And no apology Regina gives now will matter to Liz because it couldn't possibly be genuine. But Regina tries anyway.

As each day passes, the bullying gets worse and worse. Regina isn't the kind to just hunch her shoulders and let it happen though. She pushes back, serving up her own versions of revenge. But they're small hits compared to what her old friends serve up. 

And all the while, Regina and Michael get closer and start liking one another. It's tough because Michael is unsure of Regina and who she really is. Can he truly like someone who used to make his life hell? And Regina is doubtful that Michael could ever really like her if he knew how low she wanted to stoop to get her old friends back for what they've done. Things come to a startling head when the girls drive Regina to the outskirts of town and beat her up. Surprisingly, Liz comes to Regina's defense and threatens Anna with going to the principal and police for all that she's done. Anna gets scared and offers Regina a truce.

And that's where the story ends. Yeah, I kind of told you a lot of the details, but I couldn't help it. If you don't have time to read this book but you do have time to read my post, I want to get across to you how important the issue of bullying is and how so many people out there are doing really great things (whether that be to start a hashtag, write a book, or use their voices) to spread the word that bullying needs to be stopped. Bullying comes in so many forms and happens at younger and younger ages these days, especially now that we have phones and social media in the palms of our hands. They're just more tools to hurt each other with. 

I love how Summers isn't afraid to broach such tough topics. This plot constantly moves forward and her characters were very well drawn out. The details and dialogue were spot-on realistic. SOME GIRLS ARE does not have a nicely tied up, happy ending. Like what usually happens in real life, everything just sort of calms down. Also like in real life, the bad guys sometimes get away with being bad and the good guys don't always get justice. Maybe Regina wasn't the greatest girl (I mean we're all guilty of something bad at one time or another), but she didn't deserve what happened to her. 

I think it's time we ladies come together and stand united against being mean to each other. How can we expect equal and better treatment from men when we can't do the same for our fellow women? Let's keep in mind that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all deserve second chances and apologies. Being mean IS NOT cool! Talk to a grown up, girls. Tell them when you're being bullied. Use your voice to stand up for yourself and for others. Be friends with everyone, not just one small group. Apologize when you make a mistake. Encourage and lift up other girls up. When #GirlsUnite anything is possible :)

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment below.

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Several months ago I was on Twitter reading through people's tweets and I found a tweet from Julie Plec (the mastermind behind The Vampire Diaries, among other things). She tweeted that she had just read We Were Liars and it was so awesome and everyone needed to read it. Well, if Julie Plec says so then that's enough for me! Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I see that my library has finally ordered this book. I quickly put a hold on it to be the first to check it out when it came in. Well, that day was yesterday and holy crap! it was as good as everyone (and sooooo many people on Twitter and elsewhere) said it was. I started it at 11pm and stayed up 'til 2am to finish. Yup. It was that good.

We Were Liars is told from the first person perspective of one of four "Liars," Cadence Sinclair Eastman. Cadence starts by telling us she is, first and foremost, a Sinclair. This means she has money and is expected to act the way a Sinclair would act. She then tells us how that is, and basically, it's how you would imagine a old-money, rich family on the East coast would be expected to act. 

Every summer Cadence and her mother go to the family's private island near Martha's Vineyard. Cadence's two aunts and cousins also go, as do her grandparents, the Heads of the Sinclair family. The aunts spend their time fighting over money and belongings and real estate and Grandfather eggs them on, picking favorites and pitting them against one another. The cousins are constantly thrown into these fights, forced to plead to Grandfather to give THEIR family more than the others. Each family has their own house on the island and every summer Cadence's cousin Johnny brings his best friend, Gat, along with him to the island. As you would expect, Cadence falls in love with Gat and at some point before their fifteenth summer, Cadence, her other cousin Mirren, Gat, and Johnny all become the Liars. They don't keep in touch during the school year but every summer the magic of the island brings them all together and they are the best of friends. 

Early on in the book we learn that at some point during their fifteenth summer, Cadence had an accident on the island. She was found half submerged on the beach and it was deduced that she had taken a late night swim and hit her head on the rocks. She suffered a brain injury and spent some time in the hospital. Cadence doesn't remember everything from that summer, like the days leading up to or immediately following the accident. She suffers severe and excruciating headaches and fails the following school year. For her sixteenth summer, her dad takes her on a trip through Europe rather than letting her go back to the island. 

All Cadence wants is just to remember what happened to her. So, come seventeenth summer, that is what she is determined to find out. None of the Liars have ever responded to her emails or letters or mailed gifts and so she begs her mom to let her go to the island for the summer. Her mom finally relents, hoping Cadence will remember things on her own and start to heal. By the books end, Cadence has remembered everything that happened to her and the Liars that fifteenth summer--and what she learns will break your heart.

**I so, so loved this book! Cadence is such a likeable and relatable character. She loves deeply and feels strongly about everything. Her story is at times happy but also incredibly tragic. The Sinclair family is THAT family; that one we imagine every East-coast-rich, beautiful, mysterious family to be. The setting of the story was almost a character in itself and Lockhart did a beautiful job making it so with minimal description. This book has that great summer feel to it when you read it. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below :)

Book Review: Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Well it's been waaaaaay too long since my last post! Where is this summer going!? Good thing the wonderful PulseIt has been providing me with some free reading material! I just read Two Way Street, part of PulseIt's "Best Road Trip Books," and I thought it was pretty good. Here's my summary:

Courtney and Jordan were an unlikely couple in high school but that didn't seem to matter. They worked. Things were going great until Jordan out of the blue breaks up with Courtney for some girl he met online. Courtney is devastated but high school is over so she doesn't have to see Jordan anymore, right? Wrong. The two of them are going to the same college and are supposed to be driving there together. And Courtney's parents are still making her go! The trip doesn't go according to plan at all. Courtney does her best to hide her feelings for Jordan but Jordan is doing the same thing! Slowly Courtney learns exactly what happened to make Jordan break up with her and it's much worse (or maybe not so bad?) than she thought.

**Two Way Street is a very typical contemporary YA novel. It's an easy read with believable teenage dialogue. Barnholdt does a good job getting inside these two teens heads. She tells their story from alternating viewpoints of Courtney and Jordan before and during the road trip. I liked seeing how and why this couple ended up where they were. I thought the plot and pacing was well done and I looked forward to when all the secrets would finally be revealed. Overall a cute, quick read.

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Book Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

I picked this book up at my library a couple of weeks ago because I wanted to have a vacation read that was a stand alone novel--something I could enjoy temporarily and not get too swept away in while spending time with my family. I ended up barely having time to read while we were away so I didn't start this until I got back. And wow! It was good! Here's my summary:

Jenna Lord's life hasn't been easy. When she was a child, she almost died in a fire. Now as a sixteen-year-old she's almost died for a second time. Jenna tells the story of how she got to this point into a tape recorder for a detective. It goes a little something like this: Ever since Jenna's grandma killed herself and her grandpa was put in a home, her mom has been a drunk, stressing out over her failing business. Her dad is a doctor who's never home and always sleeping around. Her brother shipped off to Iraq just to get away from all the crazy. So it's no wonder Jenna cuts herself to feel better. She's spent some time in an institution and now her dad feels it's time for her to make a fresh start at a new school. That's where Jenna meets Mr. Anderson. He's a great teacher, dedicated track coach, and...a married man. He takes an instant liking to Jenna, wanting to help her and make her feel OK about who she is and her past. But things quickly go further than either of them planned. They fall in love. But then one of the girls at Jenna's school goes missing and when Jenna pieces together things she's seen and heard, she starts to suspect Mr. Anderson isn't all he says he is. What happens when she confronts him has devastating consequences for them both.

**I love reading a good, dark YA story. This was one of those. Bick tackles several important issues like death, molestation, cutting, alcoholism, and adultery in a well-done, sensitive, and realistic way. Jenna was an easy character to relate to and her arc was different from any other I've read in a while. Her growth and healing came in the most unexpected way. I like how the author let us see that no one is perfect and it's often hard to tell who is good and who is bad, who is guilty and who is innocent. Things are never black and white--life is full of gray.

Thanks for stopping by! Comment away... 

Book Review: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

I first picked up this book after I finished Lauren Kate's first book in her FALLEN series, Fallen. I liked her writing style and wanted to check out what else she had available. I saw The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, read the synopsis which said it was a new take on Macbeth (!), and said, Ok, sure! Here's my summary:

Natalie Hargrove is the most popular girl in school. She and her boyfriend (the cutest, most popular guy of course) are running for prom King and Queen of the senior class. In Natalie's town, it's a HUGE honor to win this coveted title. But while Natalie might be pretty and popular, she isn't necessarily well-liked. Her ex-boyfriend is among those who would love to see Natalie fall--and he starts to do whatever he can to make that happen. But Natalie will let no one get in her way. She convinces her boyfriend to help her pull a prank on her ex. Things don't go exactly as planned, though. With her life and lies and boyfriend completely out of control, Natalie would give anything to just make everything right again. What happens in the end to accomplish this will shock everyone--including Natalie.

**This book was such a fun read! I kept thinking it would be great as a Lifetime movie and totally wanted to shoot an email to the network to suggest it! Natalie was not at all a likeable main character and that was the first of many reasons why I enjoyed her story. She was that girl in high school that everyone hates (but pretends to like) and fears not being friends with. We all want to see these girls get what they deserve and while what Natalie does to her ex has the potential to destroy her, she manages to scrape by without too much of a fall and almost makes you want to root for her! I definitely questioned what I felt for her while reading! The main reason I liked this book though was it's surprise ending--I didn't see it coming at all! If you're looking for a quick and easy read that will make you remember all the highs and lows of high school, this book is for you! 

Thanks for hanging out! Let me know what you think!!

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

When deciding what book to review today I realized, I don't read a lot of books by male authors. I started scrolling through my Amazon list (yes I keep a list of all the books I've read over the last few years!) looking for a young adult book written by a male writer that I had read. Well, I didn't have to look too long. I came across Every Day, which I read back in October. It too was a recommendation from EW's Shelf Life. Levithan is a popular author who is well known for writing and co-writing several very loved YA stories. Here's my summary of Every Day:

Meet A. For as long as A can remember, he wakes up each day in the body of someone else. He doesn't know why this happens, who his parents are, or if it will ever stop. He has vague memories of being a young child but doesn't know if he ever had a real, actual body or identity. A has rules in which he lives by as he goes through his strange life. He stays under the radar, doesn't get too attached to people, and doesn't interfere in the body's life. But when A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon, all those rules are thrown out the window. Rhiannon is like no one A has ever met before. A finds himself acting like, well, himself. Not at all like who he is supposed to be, Justin. Rhiannon couldn't be happier. Her jerk of a boyfriend is finally being the guy she fell in love with. Rhiannon and A spend the entire day together like any other happy teenage couple and when night comes A couldn't be more sad. As much as he hopes he can stay in Justin's body, he knows it won't happen. The next day A wakes up a few hours away from Rhiannon and in a new body. He quickly decides he has to find Rhiannon and tell her the truth. It takes a few days and many different bodies but Rhiannon finally agrees to get to know A better. But how can two people ever really be together if one of them wakes up a new person in a different place every day? 

**The concept of this story was one I wasn't sure I would get into. Before the logistics were explained and I got to know our MC, it just seemed strange. Once I really dove in and got used to A and his personality, I loved it! A really made you feel the difficulties of being adrift in life and how much of who we are is tied to having our own body and most importantly, family and friends. A has no one. He is all alone living the lives of other people. He tries to make things better for those people when he can--his own way of leaving his mark on the world. So as difficult as it was to watch him deceive Rhiannon, I understood. Who would believe the truth? I was so glad when A chucked caution to the wind and did just that, told her the truth. And I was even happier when Rhiannon finally accepted A for who he was. I loved how this story asked so many questions about self and identity and most importantly, how we love. Do we love the person we are with or the shell they are in?

Thanks for hanging out with me! Feel free to comment below and come back soon.

Book Review: Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara

When I saw the title of this book on my library’s “new items” list, I was sold. Robert Frost is my favorite poet and his “Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening" in which the title of this book is derived, is my favorite poem. The plot looked interesting and the early reviews seemed promising. Here’s the summary: 

Wren is hiding out at her dad’s house in northern Maine. Something bad happened to her earlier in the year—she survived a car crash that killed her boyfriend. Now all Wren does is run—from her problems, her mother, her best friend, her grief. She runs and tries to come to terms with her life and the events that led up to the crash. She even electively mutes herself from time to time—her best form of self-preservation. And while Wren knows she can’t hide and run forever, she can’t seem to stop. She also knows she’s not only affecting but at times hurting those who care for her. But how do you make grief go away when what brought it on is all your fault? Then Wren meets Cal. He’s got some issues of his own and is busy doing his fair share of hiding out and avoiding. Slowly, Cal and Wren get to know each other. Neither can deny the feelings that soon develop. But is Wren ready to let Cal lead her back into a world full of living, talking, people? And is Cal ready to let someone else help and care for him? 

**Lovely, Dark and Deep is Amy McNamara’s debut novel. She’s a poetry major and boy does it show in her writing. Her poetical style is a perfect fit for a book so aptly named after a poem and with a character who closely relates to another famous poet, Philip Larkin. The choppy sentences take some adjusting to at first but once you do, they flow easily. Wren’s pain feels real and being on the journey of grief with her will at times bring you to tears. To some the grief may seem dragged out but I thought it took on a very natural course. The ending was a little abrupt but it had a hopeful feel. You knew things would work for these two not only as individuals but as a couple. I look forward to more work from this talented new author.