Book Breakups 2: Saving You Saving Me by Kaitlin Gow

Hey Remarkable Readers,
I've been in a little bit of a reading slump lately and I've had two or three book breakups recently.  One of them was Saving You Saving Me by Kaitlin Gow.  If you're new to book breakups, my usual description is below.

The feature is called Book Breakups and the object is to talk about books you couldn't finish and why.  Here is how Lori describes it:

We can't all love everything and some books just aren't for me. Sometimes I try really hard to love a book but if it's taking me 4 days to read 100 pages, we need to have the talk. I debated quite a while on whether or not to do this feature, but I thought it would be fun, so Book Breakups was born.

I really like this meme because when I get books for review and can't finish them, I like being able to talk about why I didn't like it and maybe get some other people's opinions!

 18 year old high school senior and aspiring psychologist Samantha Sullivan (Sam) never thought she would fall for the one mysterious guy she has been speaking to over the phone for months, the boy the counselors called Daggers. She wasn't supposed to talk to him outside of their sessions. But as she began to peel the layers of Daggers and learn who he is, the one boy she is supposed to be saving, might just be the one who is saving her. 

Normally, I don't accept self published books for review, but I made an exception for a blog tour.  Usually I don't accept them because they usually contain a lot of grammar mistakes and cliches and they just aren't my cup of tea.  Luckily, I was actually enjoying the first third of this book.  I thought it would be different and that I might love it. I thought that writing about someone who answered calls for a help line was unique.  Unfortunately, it took a turn for the worst.  Everything just became so far fetched and unbelievable.  In addition, I felt that the topics were a bit mature and heavy for YA readers.  I wasn't enjoying the book anymore, so I stopped reading.  I didn't want to waste my time on something that was bothering me.  


So, did anyone else here read it?

Waiting on Wednesday: Heaven

I

Heaven by Alexandra Adornetto 

Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet. 

Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. They don’t tell Beth’s archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, but the angels know soon enough, and punishment comes in a terrifying form: the Sevens, who are rogue angels bent on keeping Beth and Xavier apart, destroying Gabriel and Ivy, and darkening angelic power in the heavens.

The only way Bethany and Xavier can elude the Sevens is to hide in the open, and blend in with other mortals their own age. Gabriel and Ivy set them up at college, where they can’t reveal their relationship, and where there is still danger around each corner. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven – forever – and face leaving the love of her life?

I don't think I can wait till August 21st!  The cliffhanger at the end of Hades keeps bothering me and I can't wait to finish off this wonderful series!

What are you waiting on?

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

Genre: Middle Grade-Poetry

Source: Purchased at Yard Sale
Series: Standalone; Spinoff: Hate that Cat
Buy It: The Dolphin Bookshop (Shop Indie!),  The Book Depository

Challenge: None

JACK
Room 105--Miss Stretchberry

SEPTEMBER 13

I don't want to
because boys
don't write potery.

Girls do.

SEPTEMBER 21

I tried.
Can't do it.
Brain's empty.


This is the story of Jack
who finds his voice
with the help of
paper
pencil
teacher
and
dog.

     Love That Dog is a heartfelt and cute verse novel written from a boy's point of view.  At first he is embarrassed that he likes to write poetry and when showing his poems to the teacher, he never lets her put his name on them.  It's a really cute story and took me less than twenty minutes to read.  Sharon Creech told a really cute story and I loved Jack's voice.
     It was fun seeing things through Jack's eyes.  Even in such a short little book, we get to know Jack and his dog Sky.  Sky's story is really emotional and tragic for Jack and even with the use of such simple words, I felt for him.  I also enjoyed seeing Jack's perspective on poetry and how his view changes over time.  He becomes more comfortable with writing and with talking about Sky.  His story and voice is so sweet and light.
     Throughout the book, Jack writes about some of the poems that he's assigned to read in class.  I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on the poems and seeing what a child might think of some popular poetry.  Luckily, Sharon Creech included the poems at the back of the book so you can read along with Jack as the story goes on!  Later in the book, Jack realizes that he really enjoys the writing of Walter Dean Myers and tells this to his teacher.  She recommends that he write to him and at first he is hesitant.  Later, he develops a bit more confidence and finally sends an adorable letter to the famous writer asking him to visit their school.  You'll have to read the book to see what happens, but I really liked that part of the story.
     Overall, there isn't all that much that I can say about such a short little book, but I definitely recommend Love That Dog.  The story is so sweet and Jack's voice is adorable.  If your hesitant about giving verse books a try, start with this one; it won't take too much time and you'll love it!


Final Grade:

Looking forward to BEA

Hey Remarkable Readers,

     So there's about a month left until I attend the fabulous BEA and I'm very excited!  I've been to the Javitz Center before so I'm definitely ready for some hardcore walking around.  I'll be wearing some comfortable shoes and won't be taking too big a bag with me!  I'm so excited to meet publishers and authors and even to meet up with some of my blogger friends.
     Anyway, I'd love to share some insight from the event with you, so I'll be posting some recaps of the 3-day event!  Although I'm not attending the Book Blogger Convention, I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures of the event and share some tips for anyone who wants to go someday.  It'll be my first time at BEA, so if you've been and have some tips, let me know in the comments :)
      What kind of updates do you want me to post?  Should I update on Instagram?  Twitter? Facebook?  Blogger?  Do you want videos?  I'd love to show you how everything goes :)  Are you going to BEA?  Let me know your tips, opinions, and thoughts about BEA in the comments!

Slide by Jill Hathaway

 Genre: Young Adult-Contemporary

Source: ARC and Finished Copy from Publisher
Series: Yes, #1 in the series

Buy It: The Dolphin Bookshop (Shop Indie!),  The Book Depository

Challenge: Free Reads, Debut Author Challenge 2012

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

     I received Slide by Jill Hathaway for review a few months ago and I remember being so excited to read it.  I personally LOVE murder mysteries and Slide has a paranormal twist!  Thankfully, it didn't disappoint!
     Slide was fast paced with twists and turns everywhere!  I was especially surprised by the ending!  I certainly didn't expect anything like it.
     I thought Vee's character was definitely interesting.  Her condition was definitely perplexing and I've never read anything that has to do with narcolepsy, so the storyline kept my interest.  Some of the decisions that Vee made throughout the story did annoy me, though.  Fortunately, she stayed strong and was able to figure things out in the end, regardless of her crazy family and town!  I was really bothered by Amber and Sam in the book.  Although we do see some of Amber's motives for her actions later in the story, her bratty attitude is still very upsetting.  I was also a little annoyed by Maddi, Sylvia's sister but, her attitude was essential to the story.  I liked seeing her other side throughout the story.  By far, my favorite character in the story was Zane.  He liked to read, he was romantic, and he was a great listener.  He was like a beacon of hope for Vee and I really liked him.  I was really upset by the ending (if you've read the book you certainly know what I'm talking about!) but, it was definitely a shocker!
     I really enjoyed the storyline!  As I said before, there were a ton of twists and the potential suspect list just kept adding up.  When the culprit was revealed in the end, I was shocked.  I had never even thought of who it turned out to be.  Jill Hathaway kept me guessing throughout the entire story and her writing style was great, too!  The whole book had a mysterious and dark tone.
     Jill Hathaway's writing style keeps readers engulfed in the story.  Slide was a dark and mysterious murder mystery that's not to be ignored.  Definitely give it a try!

Final Grade:

April Wrap Up

Hey Remarkable Readers,
April wasn't the greatest reading month for me but, I was able to polish off three books!

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
Explorer: The Mystery Boxes by Kazu Kibuishi
Slide by Jill Hathaway

What did you read?!

 

Saving You, Saving Me by Kaitlin Gow Blog Tour Stop!

Hey Remarkable Readers,
Today I'm hosting a stop on the blog tour for Saving You, Saving Me by Kaitlin Gow!  I have an excerpt from the book for you!  You can check out the other stops on the tour right here! Without further Adieu, here's the summary and excerpt, Enjoy!


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Sam never thought she would fall for the one mysterious guy she has been speaking to over the phone for months, the boy the counselors called Daggers. She wasn’t supposed to talk to him outside of their sessions. But as she began to peel the layers of Daggers and learn who he is, the one boy she is supposed to be saving, might just be the one who is saving her.

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I sat back and watched her, trying to look interested. As she waited to be connected to the center’s director, I glanced out the window of her office and into the hallway of the school administration office, trying to avoid her eyes, in case she saw the doubt in them. 

It was a momentous glance, something I’m sure would have counted as one of the biggest moments of my life against which every other moment in my young life would pale. I did a double take as my eyes made contact with the coolest ice blue eyes I’d ever seen, and they belonged to Collins McGregor - the youngest mogul music producer featured on the cover of the latest issue of People Magazine. I felt my mouth dropped, but quickly recovered when Collins McGregor broke his gaze and a pink flush went up his cheeks. 

He was better-looking than his photos, and I couldn’t help staring at him, from his slightly messy wavy blonde hair, his sculpted cheeks and full sensual rocker lips, his tall and lean muscular body to his John Lobb-clad leather shoes. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a silk small-patterned herringbone pale blue tie that matched his eyes, he looked every inch like a confident cocky young music mogul. Looking further down his tall and muscular frame was another story.  Snug well-worn denim jeans hung off his hips in a sexy way that showed off powerful muscular legs and a tight butt. An expensive Italian black leather motorcycle jacket finished the ensemble. He was the picture of a hot bad boy music mogul. In person, he was gorgeous and stylish, exuding a confidence that permeated the room. Collins McGregor may be a music mogul, but he had the look and presence of a rock star. There was definitely something about him that kept me mesmerized. What was Collins McGregor doing at Cliffside Academy? 

“Sam?” Dr. Green’s voice interrupted my almost naughty thoughts of Collins. 

I whipped my face so quickly from staring at Collins McGregor to Dr. Green’s questioning face, I almost had whiplash. “Yes,” I muttered, looking first at my hands and then at Dr. Green.

“Well,” she said smiling. “You’re in. You start this week. They had a peer volunteer who had to quit because she had to go back to college. They’re understaffed and could really use your help.”

“So when do I start?” I asked, shaking images of Collins McGregor out of my head. 

“This Friday. They’ll give you the orientation first and start you off with a practice call,” Dr. Green said. “That’s what Gail told me. You should get a packet in the mail in a few days with all the information.”  Dr. Green smiled a big Cheshire cat smile. “So, what do you think?”

I threw up my hands and shrugged. “I’ll give it a try, Dr. Green.  Thank you for getting me in so fast. I’m sure if you hadn’t been involved, I wouldn’t be starting this Friday.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Dr. Green said. “I really think you have it in you to do this, Sam. You have to let me know how it goes…” She stood up, and walked to the door, signifying the end of our meeting.  I stood up, smoothed out my navy pleated miniskirt, my soft pink ruffled blouse, and tucked my long wavy dark hair that came loose around my face, behind my ears, and walked out. 

“Oh, wait,” Dr. Green’s voice called. I turned around, and she handed me the young adult center’s brochure. I raised the brochure and nodded, turning around to head back outside. “Oh, Sam!” Dr. Green called. She walked towards me with my white cardigan. “You forgot this.”

“Thank you,” I said.  Now I was going to be late for class if I didn’t hurry out. I rushed out and bumped face first into something hard. When did a wall get put up outside the counselor’s office? Then I lost my balance and landed on my butt, everything flying out of my hands as I tried to stop myself from falling harder.

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Think you'll be checking out the book?  Let me know in the comments :)