Breanna Blabbers: Interesting YA Quotes

"I like flaws. They make things interesting." -The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

"Maybe, sometimes, it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know they'll always love you, no matter what." -The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Ann Brashares

"Politeness is deception in pretty packaging." -Divergent, Veronica Roth

"Life is an awful, ugly place not have a best friend." -Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen

"Don't think or judge, just listen." -Just Listen, Sarah Dessen

"You don't think or plan. You just do it." -The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

"So many things become beautiful when you really look." -Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver

"Beauty--real, everlasting beauty--lives not on our faces, but in our attitudes and actions. It lives in what we do for ourselves and for others." -North of Beautiful, Justina Chen Headley

"Everyone says that the Internet is so awesome because you can connect with people from all over the world, but I think it's the opposite. The internet doesn't make it easier to connect with anyone--it just makes it so you don't really have to." -Bittersweet, Sarah Ockler

"You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it." -Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen

"I'd rather be completely alone than with a bunch of people that aren't real." -Fixing Delilah, Sarah Ockler

Disclaimer: Credit for these quotes go to the awesome authors that wrote them. I am not being compensated for this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Breanna Blabbers: YA Covers That I Love

            We’re told to never judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to YA covers, it’s to hard to resist! What are my favorite YA covers? Find out below!

 

       

 

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this blabber. All thoughts and opinions are my own! Photo credit goes to goodreads.com!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2013

(Photo: brokeandbookish.blogspot.com)

 



This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is the Top Ten Books That I’ve Read in 2013. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I have kept my list to books that I had never read previously.

 

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys- Between Shades of Gray is not the type I usually read and I was hesitant to pick it up from the library. I’m so glad I chose to read it because it’s a seriously amazing book. I loved the characters and the plot. I had never heard of this part of history, so it was something that was interesting (and horrifying) to learn about.
2. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr-This book is so simple, but I love it. Although it has been around for awhile, I never got around to reading it. When my sister got it for Christmas, she told me I had to read it… and I fell in love! I’m definitely interested in checking out more of her books.
3. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson- I’m not a huge Peter Pan fan, but I actually liked this book. While maintaining elements from the original story, Anderson made the story her own by giving Neverland a more solemn tone. It’s a really cool, different book that I highly recommend!
4. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen- Although not my favorite Dessen book, it’s still pretty good. I think it’s interesting how Dessen gave this book a more mature tone. The beginning is a bit slow, but the end of the story is amazing. Check out my review for The Moon and More here.
5. Emma by Jane Austen- I’m a huge fan of the movie Clueless, so I wanted to read Emma. This year, I finally got the opportunity. I love it! I fell in love with the characters and the whole plot.
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Everyone raves about this book, so I had to check it out. Compared to other YA romances, this isn’t overly cheesy. I liked the setting a lot!
7. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson- This book is so sad! Even though you know the end is inevitable, you keep flipping the pages and hoping the outcome will change. You should definitely check this book out.
8. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler- I love Sarah Ockler. Her characters are always so real. This one is perfect for summer, but it definitely not an easy, breezy summer read. Check out my review for Fixing Delilah here.
9. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler- Bittersweet is such a cute story. I like the cupcake recipes at the beginning of each chapter, and Ockler once again impressed me with her awesome writing. You need to read one of her books if you haven’t yet!
10. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater- This isn't the type of book that I would normally pick up. However, I really did enjoy reading it. It's something different than a lot of other YA books out there today. I would recommend it!

 

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! All credit goes to The Broke and the Bookish.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler Review

(Photo credit: goodreads.com)

 

          They say never to judge a book by its cover… but I just couldn’t help myself with this one! The cover drew me in. It is seriously one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. At first, I expected this to be a light summer novel. With the title and the cute cover, I expected it to be about girls who go on vacation and meet boys. You know, your typical summer romance. However, after reading it, I can say this is definitely not your typical summer novel.

           Twenty Boy Summer follows Anna. Anna has always had a crush on her best friend Frankie’s older brother, Matt. When Matt kisses her on her fifteenth birthday, they secretly start dating. Matt decides that he will tell Frankie about his relationship with Anna when he and Frankie go on vacation to Zanzibar Bay. However, this never happens—before they go on vacation, Matt dies from a heart condition that nobody knew about.

            Thirteen months later, Frankie is still in the dark about Anna and Matt’s relationship and Anna is still not over Matt’s death. When Frankie asks Anna to go to Zanzibar Bay, she proposes that they meet 20 different boys to have the ‘Absolute Best Summer Ever.’ Anna is hesitant to agree with Frankie’s plan, but when she does she does not expect to fall in love or confront Matt’s death for good. 

            Twenty Boy Summer is beautifully written. Unlike most young adult novels, Twenty Boy Summer is not full of designer references, mean girls, or vampires. Instead, Ockler crafts a nearly perfect story full of love and heartbreak that left me experiencing the same emotions as the characters in the story. I seriously NEVER cry when reading books or watching movies. However, this book made me tear up quite a few times. Be prepared to go through a box of tissues on one page and laugh out loud on the next!

            However, what makes this novel so special are the characters. Each character has a different personality and deals with death in a different way. I could easily relate to many of the characters, and I don’t think anyone else would have much trouble either since there is such a variety.

            Even though I loved all the characters, Matt is definitely one of my favorites of the bunch . While he is only in the book for the first few chapters, the flashbacks that are sprinkled throughout the rest of the novel make you fall in love with him just as Anna did. However, the only downside to this is that I did not like Anna’s summer fling, Sam, as much as I loved Matt.

            The only bad part in Twenty Boy Summer is Frankie’s parents’ case of ‘missing parent syndrome.’ Even though Frankie says that they pick and choose what they want to hear, it becomes increasingly unbelievable that her parents never know about her and Anna’s true whereabouts. Throughout the novel, Frankie and Anna venture off on their own, even as far as San Francisco which is two hours away, and Frankie’s parents do not catch onto their lying. While it allows the characters to have a wild and care-free summer, it just comes off as unbelievable.

           Although the cover suggests that Twenty Boy Summer is an easy beach read, it is not a light novel and can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

Disclaimer: I borrowed Twenty Boy Summer from the library (but I need to own it because it is one of my favorite books!). I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!



Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Featuring Travel in Some Way

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Today's 'Top Ten' is Top Ten Books Featuring Traveling in Some Way. So, let's get started!

1. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen- This is one of my favorite Sarah Dessen books. Colie is shipped to Colby Beach while her mother tours around Europe. Such a good story!
2. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson- Taylor travels to her old lake house to spend one last summer with her father, who is dying from cancer. This story is so sad and not your typical summer novel!
3. Cloaked by Alex Flinn- If you love fairytale retellings, you'll loved Cloaked. It isn't your typical Cinderella retelling either; it is a mixture of a few different and more obscure fairytales. It follows a poor teenage boy as he goes on a wild adventure around the Florida Keys in search of a prince-turned-frog. Although it isn't my favorite Alex Flinn novel, it's still a great story.
4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler- This is one of my favorite books EVER. Anna travels to Zanizabar Bay with her friend Frankie, where they plan to meet twenty boys in twenty days. Like Second Chance Summer, this isn't your typical summer novel. I was basically in tears throughout the whole thing!
5. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen- Another one of my favorite Dessen novels. Auden travels to Colby Beach to spend a summer with her father and his new family. It has romance, depth, and great characters. Love it!
6. Just One Wish by Janette Rallison- Just One Wish is my favorite Janette Rallison novel. In the novel, Annika travels to Los Angeles to find a famous movie star that plays Robin Hood and bring him back to her brother, who has cancer, before he he gets surgery. On one page I was laughing and on the next I was nearly in tears. It's so sad, and definitely Rallison's best novel!
7. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares- This is seriously the ultimate travel book. Carmen goes to NC, Bridget goes to Baja California, Lena goes to Greece, and well, Tibby stays at home. I seriously love this book. It makes me sad, happy, and everything in between. I absolutely love their friendship!
8. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks- Trust me, the book is WAY better than the movie. Ronnie goes to Wrightsville Beach to spend the summer with her father. This book. THIS BOOK. I have read it nearly ten times and every time it just GETS ME.
9. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler- Ockler is one of my favorite authors and I love Fixing Delilah! Delilah travels to her deceased grandmother's house in Vermont for the entire summer to prepare for her grandmother's funeral and sell her grandmother's house. As always, Ockler delivers an awesome story that makes me want to just jump and scream and fangirl all day long. Click here to read my review on Fixing Delilah.
10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Everyone has heard of and read this book. Anna is shipped off to a boarding school in Paris and there she meets the wonderful Étienne St. Clair. It's such a cute story!

Disclaimer: Top Ten Tuesday is created by The Broke and the Bookish. I am not being compensated for this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler Review

(Photo: goodreads.com)

 

          Finding a good contemporary young adult book in a sea of novels about mythical creatures and dystopian societies is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, after searching high and low, I have discovered an author that seems to get it right every time—Sarah Ockler. With four books under her belt, Ockler is proving to be one of the best young-adult authors on the shelves today. With that being said, Fixing Delilah is a book that needs to hit your summer reading list and would be a perfect introduction to her work.

            Fixing Delilah follows seventeen-year-old Delilah Hannaford, a girl with a bad reputation for sneaking out with her “non-boyfriend” and stealing from Blush Cosmetics. With her father dead and a workaholic mother, Delilah spends most nights by herself at home. That is, until she is told that her grandmother is dead and she and her mother must go back to her grandmother’s house in Vermont for the entire summer to attend the funeral and sell the house.

            There, Delilah attempts to uncover the mysteries that tear her family apart, like what happened to her mother’s dead younger sister and the fight between her mother and grandmother that ended all communication between them eight years before. With her old summer best friend (and love interest) Patrick, new friend Emily, and aunt, Delilah learns that even the most broken relationships are worth mending.

            Like other Ockler’s other novels Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet, Ockler crafts a heart breaking story with real characters and relatable problems. Unlike other summer novels, Fixing Delilah is not light and fluffy. As always, you may want to grab a box of tissues before sitting down with this bad boy. You’ll most likely end up in tears through the majority of the novel.

            The characters in Fixing Delilah are simply perfection. Delilah is an extremely relatable protagonist. Her evolution from an angsty teen to a more understanding one is a pleasure to read. Any teenager will be able to relate to her rocky relationship with her family and the experience of falling in love. Although her mother at first comes across as the stereotypical workaholic mother, as the story develops, she becomes a character with many layers. However, the best part of the characters is that they all have flaws. No character is “perfect” like many other characters in young adult novels. They’re real, which is refreshing in a genre overcrowded with perfect boyfriends and other similar stereotypes.

            In addition, Ockler perfectly captures a teenage voice. Some other authors struggle to write in a way that makes protagonists sound like teenagers. However, Ockler is not one of them. Delilah sounds like the average teenager, and this is not accomplished with overused slang like many other authors try to do (I mean, just because you say LOL doesn’t mean you sound like a teenage girl). It sounds like your listening to your best friend, which personally made me feel a stronger connection to the story. 

            The plot is beautifully written. Ockler has a way of taking a simple idea and making it complicated, heartbreaking, and captivating. I literally could not put the book down, which caused me family members to question my sanity once or twice on Christmas day when I received and promptly started reading the book. Seriously, not one part of the book falls flat and Ockler has a way with words.

            Besides an interesting plot and great characters, Ockler tackles tough topics wonderfully. In the novel, Ockler addresses suicide, death, depression, and a broken family. She does not do this in a clichéd way and the characters’ reactions to each situation is believable. Although this may seem like a wide range of topics to discuss in one novel, Ockler pulls it off perfectly and each topic is addressed completely.

            Fans of Ockler’s other novels and Sarah Dessen will love Fixing Delilah. Ockler’s latest novel, The Book of Broken Hearts, hit shelves this May.

Disclaimer: I receieved Fixing Delilah as a Christmas present. I am not being compensated for this review in any way! All thoughts and opinions are my own.