The Me I Meant To Be by Sophie Jordan

* * * * 1/2

Girl Code: Never date a friend’s ex.

Willa Evans has no intention of breaking the code. So what if she’s always secretly loved her next-door neighbor Zach? As her best friend’s boyfriend, he was always off-limits and it needs to stay that way, even though they just broke up. Even though every time she turns around he’s there, tempting her…
 
No keeping secrets from your bestie.

Flor Hidalgo has a lot on her plate: her breakup with Zach, her dad’s new dating life, and her struggling grades. So why can’t she stop thinking about her hot, know-it-all tutor? At least she’s got Willa, her constant in the chaos.
 
Breaking the code breaks friendships.
 
Two friends find themselves tempted by love that defies the rules in this steamy romance perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Simone Elkeles.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


I absolutely enjoyed Sophie Jordan's latest YA offering because this one focused on a theme that I can relate to and am witnessing right now through my two teens: the changing nature of friendships.

Willa and Flor have been besties for a long time and have seen each other through ups and downs. While Willa likes to be in the background, Flor is the more popular friend at the forefront. But things are slowly changing. Flor recently broke up with Zach who happens to be Willa's nextdoor neighbor so it kind of puts her in an awkward situation. While Flor is fixated on why Zach broke things off with her and how she can win him back, Willa's just trying to work out how she can remain friends with both of them and also loyal to Flor. And because of her loyalty and their friendship, Willa has made a silent vow to herself to never allow her long held secret crush on Zach to go any further than that. Flor's way of coping is to create the Girl Code, a set of rules that girlfriends should adhere to in order to support each other and lift each other up. Poor Willa feeling treacherous inside, although Flor isn't faring any better because she's developing strange feelings for her math tutor, Grayson who is the exact opposite of Zach and who shouldn't even be occupying space in her head when she's trying to get back together with him.

Each chapter is headed by a Girl Code entry that has a tie-in to that chapter. It's quite cute. With the POV switching between Willa and Flor there's an abundance of emotion, confusion, angst and flirting flying about. I love how well Jordan handles both their stories, giving them equal time. She treats their friendship delicately - which it is at the moment - while also showing how Willa and Flor are gradually diverging on their own paths. The matter of loyalty is constantly brought up, as is the idea of family and what that should mean. Willa and Flor are each experiencing changes within their families and I can say that what's going on with Flor's astounded me. 

There is a third friend in the mix, Jenna whose story isn't delved into. I wish there could've been a way to flesh out her storyline as well but I can also see why Jordan just kept it to the two main girls. Jenna's brief appearances do initiate the topic of self-acceptance, and the painful reality of how how hard it can be to be honest with your family about something you've come to know about yourself. 

I fell in love with this book and its honesty about the inevitable changes that come with simply growing older. Even though boys are in the picture for Willa and Flor, The Me I Meant to Be is truly about the girls' friendship, growth and acceptance. Girl Code is important but it's also just a guide. Any friendship will face its test but it rests on the individuals involved to see that their friendship survives. 

~ Bel

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

* * * * *

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world. 


Source: advance e-galley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review


Beartown takes a look at the dynamics of a small town and its residents who live in the woods. The town's entire culture and psyche is centered on that of the junior hockey team. Their identities along with their goals, their economics, their purpose in life are tied up in it. Think Friday Night Lights but more intense. Backman introduces us to several people  - adults and teenagers - who are directly or indirectly involved with the hockey team and shows us how their lives are impacted by it. It takes a few pages to meet all of them but as soon as he's set that up he's the director having the camera slowly pan out, giving us a wider scope of the town. The result is that we see what hockey means to these individuals, what they've done for it, sacrificed for it and ultimately created because of it. Beartown is another testament to Backman's amazing ability to write about people's flaws and strengths, bringing their humanity to the forefront. What he's done here is show us that sometimes that thing that unites a community can also be something that pits one against the other. In this case, it's a sports culture that makes celebrities out of those who aren't ready, and how bringing them to cult-like status can create heroes and villains.

The beauty of Beartown is that we get to be inside the minds of all the characters and see how they affect one another. It's such a lovely advantage as a reader to be able to have that within reach but it's also an imposing thing as the story takes on a dark turn. You're an eyewitness to these events as the chips fall into place, coming to a climax that you're anxiously awaiting. Backman lays it out perfectly, weaving together their histories and keeping you guessing as to what's next. All the while, these characters feel real and their struggles or insecurities are relatable. You can recognize those things in them which makes this story an interesting study in human psychology and relationships.  

I'm not going to delve into plot specifics because the effect won't be as impressive if you're not watching it unfold yourself. The first page did startled me. It had me wondering as I continued when Backman would bring me back to that very moment on that first page. The anticipation gave me a rush! Because there are so many characters, there are a several storylines and for the most part they do intersect. By the way, there are some triggers but in order to avoid spoilers I've included them in the labels so please refer to them if you'd prefer to know ahead of time. 

I've wanted to read Beartown for months ever since I saw it was out in Backman's native Sweden. Sadly or rather inconveniently, I don't speak Swedish so I've had to wait patiently for it to be released in the US. As I've come to expect it's another outstanding novel from a master storyteller. The surprise though was the type of story this was and how serious it became. But it's the various twists and revelations that make Beartown a must-read now and a must-have addition to your bookshelf!

~ Bel

Pushing Perfect by Michelle Falkoff

* * * 1/2

A girl’s quest for perfection results in dangerous consequences in this layered, suspenseful YA novel by the author of Playlist for the Dead.

How far would you go to be perfect?

Kara has the perfect life. She gets perfect grades. She never messes up. Until now. Because perfection is an illusion, and Kara has been struggling to maintain it for as long as she can remember. With so much pressure to succeed, it’s hard not to do whatever it takes. 

But when Kara takes a new underground drug to help her ace the SATs, she doesn’t expect to get a text from a blocked sender, telling her to follow a set of mysterious instructions—or risk her dark secret getting out. Soon she finds herself part of a group of teens with secrets of their own, who are all under the thumb of the same anonymous texter. And if they don’t find a way to stop the blackmailer, their perfect futures will go up in flames.

This dark, emotionally resonant contemporary YA novel is perfect for fans of We Were Liars and The Secret History.

Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review



Expectations are hard to live up to. Whether they come from our parents, our teachers, friends or worse yet, ourselves, the pressure can feel insurmountable. The expectation to live up to some ideal that has been built up over the years can break any person leading them to make some ill-fated decisions. In Pushing Perfect, "Perfect Kara" who has always been an overachiever, succumbs to the pressure to remain on top.

As the blurb explains, Kara takes a drug that's supposed to help her stay focused during her SATs. Attaining a perfect score is the only option she can see that ensures her future. It's at this point as the stress builds that she starts to question her motives, sifting through which ambitions truly belong to her and which of those belong to her parents. Things take an alarming turn when she is contacted by a stranger who knows her dirty little secret, and who threatens to expose her if she doesn't follow through with their instructions. This is definitely something she ever expected and now she's caught up in some intricate blackmailing scheme that is bigger than just her. Getting out if this is going to be tricky but Kara who is tired of being manipulated has had enough. Time to turn the tables and bring down the bad guy.

Falkoff has included several layers to Kara's narrative going years back to when she first developed insecurities about her looks. She also explores how the penchant for secrecy can influence behaviour, even drastically changing the nature of friendships. If anything, perfection becomes an ugly, almost suffocating entity for Kara and her friends. 

I liked Pushing Perfect a lot. I sympathized with Kara and understood where her insecurities stemmed from. It's sadly apparent how isolated she had become until she starts befriending new people. It was also interesting to see how everyone else gets caught up in projecting that perfect image; even more interesting to see how they respond once their ruses are revealed. 

Once again, Falkoff brings to the pages a glimpse of the teenage life from different angles. The premise at first seems simple but the more you let the storyline sink in, the more you understand the disturbing reality that exists. It has made me wonder about my own dynamics with my kids, especially my freshman, as they work studiously to excel at school. Falkoff amazed me with her debut, Playlist for the Dead and with Pushing Perfect, I feel more of a personal connection as she has given me plenty of food for thought.  

~ Bel

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

* * *

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…


Source: advance e-galley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review


One Was Lost is really my worst nightmare come true. First off, camping is so not me so that's part one of the horror. Second, being stuck in the middle of nowhere in inclement weather split off from your group. See? Nightmare! That's the mess that Sera and company find themselves in. They wake up the next morning after going through a night of torrential rain and lack of food to discover that their camp has been destroyed and their personal belongings are missing. With their group leader passed out and unresponsive, the four teens in this group have to fend for themselves and find a way back to civilization. They're barely just understanding that they're unwitting participants in some elaborate game that has dire consequences. And since they're in the middle of the woods cut off from the world, they have to depend on each other while at the same time watching their backs. No one is free of suspicion and who knows what else is in store for them.

The action takes place from the get go and there's no relenting. Richards sets up the pieces well revealing vital bits of information at the right time. I felt just as frantic and helpless as Sera and her friends until they started putting the puzzle together. The only drawback for me were certain scenes where I felt the tension building only to be stalled because of how Sera's reaction to those few moments were described. I simply felt the flow was interrupted, however, that didn't stop me from being caught up in the mystery as a whole. The most intriguing aspect of One Was Lost is how each one of the four characters starts to behave once they fall under closer scrutiny. Suspicion does ugly things to your head and everyone's response could be an important clue. 

One Was Lost is a perfect choice if you're in the mood for an outdoor, at-the-mercy-of-the-elements-with-a-maniac-on-the-loose story!

~ Bel

The Boy Who Killed Grant Parker by Kat Spears

* * * *

Luke Grayson's life might as well be over when he's forced to go live in rural Tennessee with his Baptist pastor father. His reputation as a troublemaker has followed him there, and as an outsider, Luke is automatically under suspicion by everyone from the principal at his new school to the local police chief. His social life is no better. The new kid in town is an easy target for Grant Parker, the local golden boy with a violent streak who has the entire community of Ashland under his thumb.

But things go topsy-turvy when a freak accident removes Grant from the top of the social pyramid, replacing him with Luke. This fish out of water has suddenly gone from social outcast to hero in a matter of twenty-four hours. For the students who have lived in fear of Grant all their lives, this is a welcome change. But Luke’s new found fame comes with a price. Nobody knows the truth about what really happened to Grant Parker except for Luke, and the longer he keeps living the lie, the more like Grant Parker he becomes. 

Source: advance e-galley provided by St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review


High school is that unique jungle that divides teens into various social classes. Students either love or loathe their experience.  As my own child enters freshman year, I worry about what she'll encounter and how she'll adapt. I keep reminding myself that is a time for her to develop those valuable life skills - to figure out who she is and what genuine friendship means. That was reaffirmed for me as I read The Boy Who Killed Grant Parker.

Moving from Washington, DC to a small town has Luke Grayson completely out of his element. Being the new kid in his senior year is rough and is made worse when his principal and the local sheriff have him pegged as a troublemaker as soon as he enters the door. His goal is to remain under the radar, get through his senior year and then as far away as possible from Ashland. The universe unfortunately has other ideas. He ends up in a humiliating altercation with a mascot that only draws more unwanted attention to him. Then Grant Parker, football star and local god, zeroes in on Luke as his latest victim. When Luke is involved in an accident that sends Grant out of the picture, he becomes the hero who stood up to the bully. Suddenly he's popular. As his notoriety grows, it becomes glaringly obvious that he was more comfortable as an outsider than being part of the in crowd. Rather than do something to rectify the situation, he resigns himself to apathy.

What struck me most about the story is how realistic its premise is. Like most kids, Luke wants to sit at the cool kid table and fit in. The new pecking order means no longer socializing with the initial outcasts who befriended him. His situation reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a parent of a 6th grader who was having troubling with how to be nice to her old and new friends. It's definitely not an isolated problem. Two worthwhile characters to note are Delilah, the police chief's daughter and Roger, owner of a garage where Luke works. They are the most authentic people in Luke's life. Delila, who prefers to be an outsider has a cynical view on things whereas Roger tells it like it is, even if it's at Luke's expense. He has no qualms at all about telling him what a knucklehead he's being and that brings out the laughs. Everyone else had me doing so many eyerolls with their hypocritical nonsense that I couldn't wait to get out of there myself. 

Kat Spears doesn't write likable or care-free characters. To a certain extent her heroes or anti-heroes are the most honest about who they are. And she lets their circumstances get messy before offering them the opportunity to redeem themselves, and that's why I'm drawn to her stories. There's no telling how things will turn out but I feel like her characters are always on the edge of discovering some grand, illuminating idea about life that will propel them forward. And that's the entire reason to read The Boy Who Killed Grant Parker.

~ Bel

South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf

* * * *


What is Kaycee willing to risk for the sake of love? 
And what will she risk for acceptance?

In Sunshine, Tennessee, the main event in town is Friday night football, the biggest party of the year is held in a field filled with pickup trucks, and church attendance is mandatory. For Kaycee Jean McCoy, life in Sunshine means dating guys she has no interest in, saying only “yes, ma’am” when the local bigots gossip at her mom’s cosmetics salon, and avoiding certain girls at all costs. Girls like Bren Dawson.

Unlike Kaycee, Bren doesn’t really conceal who she is. But as the cool, worldly new girl, nobody at school seems to give her any trouble. Maybe there’s no harm if Kaycee gets closer to her too, as long as she can keep that part of her life a secret, especially from her family and her best friend. But the more serious things get with Bren, the harder it is to hide from everyone else. Kaycee knows Sunshine has a darker side for people like her, and she’s risking everything for the chance to truly be herself.

South of Sunshine was one of those books I noticed on the library's display shelf because of its cover. But underneath the endearing title and picturesque cover is a troubling story about how denying your true self can be destructive.

Kaycee is in her senior year of high school and itching to get out of her small town so she can drop the pretence. She has dated guys but mostly to deflect attention away from the fact that she really likes girls. This is a community that hasn't met the 21st century yet. Their narrow minds about different ethnicities and homosexuality keep Kaycee in the closet. When Bren shows up at the high school she's like a shiny, exotic new toy. She's automatically different because she's part Hispanic and she also happens to be gay. Kaycee feels a strong pull towards her but tries her best to deny any of it. 

"Because once again, just like I did last night and like I've done for all these years of denial, 

I think if I ignore it, it doesn't exist. That's what I have to do to survive this town."

~ Kaycee, p. 174

Reading this book was both maddening and eye-opening. Thank goodness Kaycee is a charming and sweet kid, otherwise this read would have been harder. Sunshine is a judgmental town, superficial to the core. You know it's bad when the churches are segregated and then there's segregation within the church based on social status. Here, within this dysfunction, is where Kaycee has to come to terms with who she is. No wonder her head and her heart are a mess! Religious bigotry is one of my few triggers. I can't ever grasp how any institution that should stand for love and caring can be so cruel to those who are at their most vulnerable. The town's bigoted attitude about anything they're unfamiliar with had me in a foul mood so imagine my surprise when Kaycee's mom and her best friend take the story in a different direction by making important revelations! It taught me an invaluable lesson that I don't always know where someone's fears stem from. It's easy to assume that intolerance can be boiled down to ignorance but those two showed me that there's more to that theory. 

"I remind myself that God loves me ..."

 ~ Kaycee, p. 123

That passage from self-awareness to self-acceptance can be intimidating depending on the level of support that is available. Elmendorf wrote Kaycee's gradual coming out so beautifully. She also gives us a glimpse of what coming out means to a teen - the joy it can bring, the toll it can levy, the love it can let in but also the weight of disappointment and hurt when someone you love refuses to acknowledge your truth. I hate that anyone has to even go through this simply because they want to be true to who they are. And it's unfair to have that person carry the guilt for anyone's lack of acceptance or understanding. When it comes to LGBTQ novels, I find it's the coming of age ones like this that I respond to the most. Therefore, I'm so glad I picked up South of Sunshine.  

~ Bel

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

* * * 1/2

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee. 

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job. 

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.

Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.

Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.


Sometimes a broken heart leads to a decision that can take a person on a different course. That's what happens when Cassidy decides to escape for the summer after finding out that her college-bound boyfriend had cheated on her. Some part of her thinks she's running away but she's hoping that a change of scenery will help her forget about her ex and learn to adjust to being on her own. She heads to the Jersey Shore where her father and stepmother run a bed and breakfast. There she can make fresh new memories with her summer job as a camp counselor at Crest Haven and with her dad's family. At camp she meets Bryan who's a paraplegic. He, too, is learning to adjust after a life-changing accident. He has so much to prove to himself and others but his fears of not being as good at something he excelled at prior to his accident are holding him back. He and Cassidy get on well and end up working together often. He looks forward to seeing her because for him, it's nice to be with someone who isn't aware of his past history, and Cassidy enjoys their easygoing friendship. Until they figure out where they're headed, they'll just continue to enjoy each other's company.

"And in that moment, as she held out her hand to let the firefly loose, I realized that I didn't care whether she was in Crest Haven for four minutes, four hours, four days, or four weeks. I wanted to be in Cassidy's life, to know her, and whatever time we had, it would have to be enough."

I've read all three of Constantine's books and I've liked them all. Her coming-of-age stories feature amiable heroines along with other sensitive, sweet characters that I adore. Cassidy and Bryan are no exception. I enjoyed their flirtations and the precious moments where they confided in each other or egged each other on. Seeing how as an outsider, Cassidy started to fit in with a new group of friends who have their own history is something that every single one of us can relate to. Most importantly, family is always at the heart of Constantine's stories. There's always family to turn to; to root them, to guide them and to simply love them. 

"Mom looked dreamily up to the sky again, her face softened. 'Copping out of what? Cassidy, you're spending the summer with your father, you're not running away. You're changing the scenery. There's a difference. You're opening yourself up to new experiences. That's all, nothing wrong with that. This will be good for you.'"

The Season of You & Me, is perfect for you if you're looking for a friends-to-couple or a conquer-your-fears or a I-can-find-my-own-happiness story. It'll give you good vibes all around!

~ Bel


Here's are my reviews of Constantine's other books if you're interested, The Promise of Amazing and The Secrets of Attraction.

The Hard Count by Ginger Scott Cover Reveal

Check out this amazing cover for THE HARD COUNT by Ginger Scott! Don't forget to add it to your TBR and pre-order your copy today!

THE HARD COUNT

Mature YA Contemporary Romance-Stand Alone

Scheduled to release: July 15, 2016

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble     I     iBooks     I     Kobo     

BLURB:

Nico Medina’s world is eleven miles away from mine. During the day, it’s a place where doors are open—where homes are lived in, and neighbors love. But when the sun sets, it becomes a place where young boys are afraid, where eyes watch from idling cars that hide in the shadows and wicked
smoke flows from pipes.

West End is the kind of place that people survive. It buries them—one at a time, one way or another. And when Nico was a little boy, his mom always told him to run.

I’m Reagan Prescott—coach’s daughter, sister to the prodigal son, daughter in the perfect family.
Life on top.
Lies.
My world is the ugly one. Private school politics and one of the best high school football programs in the country can break even the toughest souls. Our darkness plays out in whispers and rumors, and money and status trump all. I would know—I’ve watched it kill my family slowly, strangling us for
years.

In our twisted world, a boy from West End is the only shining light.
Quarterback.
Hero.
Heart.
Good.
I hated him before I needed him.
I fell for him fast.
I loved him when it was almost too late.

When two ugly worlds collide, even the strongest fall. But my world…it hasn’t met the boy from West End.

EXCERPT:

“Why are you mad at me, Reagan?”

He says my name, and the word falls from his lips soft and sweet. No judgement, no challenge. My lip falls loose from the hold of my teeth and my eyes flutter shut for a long blink. I open again to find him still waiting, still looking at me.

“I don’t know,” I say, with a small shake of my head.

“But you are,” he says, and I nod with the same slight movement, sucking in my bottom lip and breathing through my nose.

“Yeah,” I say, my lip falling away and my eyes only able to look at his cheek.

I’m holding myself tighter than I ever have, my fingers actually digging into my sides, my nails rough against my skin through the fabric of my gray Cornwall sweatshirt. Nico doesn’t flinch once. His eyes stay on mine when I give in, and his expression doesn’t shift from the gentle, sweet one he’s held.

His right hand lets go of my elbow, moving to the few strands of hair resting against my forehead, falling over one eye. Nico takes them with his thumbs, moving them behind my ears, his eyes watching his movement then settling back on mine.

“You’ve worn your hair down ever since I said I liked it,” he says.

I breathe in long and deep, letting myself feel this moment—all of it. I have worn my hair down. I did it hoping he would touch it, but never once actually thinking he would.

“That’s how I knew,” he says, and my forehead crinkles. He smiles on one side, repeating the gesture and moving the long wave of blonde hair from my face again.

“That’s how I knew I was more than just some guy you wanted on your dad’s football team.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless and In Your Dreams.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

CONNECT WITH GINGER:

Facebook Page     I     Twitter     I     Pinterest     I     YouTube

Google     I     Goodreads     I     Website 

Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach

* * * *

A young man overcomes a crippling loss and finds the courage to live after meeting an enigmatic girl.

“Was this story written about me?”

I shrugged.

“Yes or no?”

I shrugged again, finally earning a little scowl, which somehow made the girl even more pretty.

“It’s very rude not to answer simple questions,” she said.

I gestured for my journal, but she still wouldn’t give it to me. So I took out my pen and wrote on my palm.

I can’t, I wrote. Then, in tiny letters below it: Now don’t you feel like a jerk?

Parker Santé hasn’t spoken a word in five years. While his classmates plan for bright futures, he skips school to hang out in hotels, killing time by watching the guests. But when he meets a silver-haired girl named Zelda Toth, a girl who claims to be quite a bit older than she looks, he’ll discover there just might be a few things left worth living for.

Wallach’s debut We All Looked Up was so stunning that I jumped at the chance to read this. Since WALU was about an impending disaster, I wondered what kind of tone Thanks for the Trouble would have. This fanciful tale featuring two strangers meeting and discovering a camaraderie who go on to create their own adventures, is both hopeful and serious.

Parker seems like a normal kid except that he refuses to speak. All the therapy he’s been through can’t unlock what’s disturbing him the most since the death of his father a few years before. He's simply not ready. He depends on his journal to communicate with people and also to write the many stories that bound through his imagination. Being the odd kid, he resorts to stealing as a hobby. One of his favourite things to do is to hang out at hotel lobbies, which is where he notices Zelda who seems to be lost in her own world. When she leaves the hotel, he sees that she’s left her bag behind and he decides to steal it. Only he can’t bring himself to do it. In the meantime she returns and confronts him about his pitiful attempt at theft. Instead of being upset about it though, she’s intrigued. She announces that they should spend time together. That is until she receives a life-changing phone call that she’s been expecting and at which point they'll part ways.

I was so tuned into this story. Zelda is a larger than life character who’s own personal story is quite unfathomable. Parker doesn’t believe her at all but gets wrapped up in her persona none the less. She’s determined that Parker needs to come out of his shell and also look to his future. She strikes up a deal with him that to him seems one-sided. Parker can’t help but worry about her welfare despite her assurances that she doesn’t require any help. He is such a sweetheart and a good-natured guy. Meeting Zelda has lifted his spirits and given him the push he needs at this crucial time in his life. The best is when it dawns on him that even though he’s retreated into himself, he isn’t alone and that he can still be a part of a social circle that embraces him wholeheartedly. 

Once again, Wallach’s writing is solid and alluring, weaving together Parker's contemporary world with Zelda's fairytale of a life. What I admire about his books so far is that he writes his characters as smart and insightful. He's great at capturing significant moments that are set within a limited timeframe. And the location being in San Francisco, one of my favourite places ever, made me enjoy the story that much more. 

Thanks for the Trouble is charming, witty and heart-warming and I have nothing but fondness for this little treasure!

~ Bel

Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius

* * *

In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Anne & Henry beautifully reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time.

Admission: I requested this book because of my love of Tudor history. In fact, I have an entire row on my bookshelf dedicated to them. Historical fiction tends to make me hesitant because I'll inevitably want to separate fact from fiction (hence I’ve avoided the tv show, Reign). However, a reimagining of Anne and Henry VIII’s tumultuous and scandalous relationship that changed the course of England’s history, told in a modern day setting? Yeah, I’m on board for that!

Henry Tudor is privileged, a silver spoon in his mouth and a heavy set of expectations on his shoulders. His very wealthy and influential family would like to see him ascend to great heights. He's treated as if he's the second coming of the Messiah. He dates the “perfect girl”, Catherine. She’s beautiful, popular, comes from another wealthy family. It’s a perfect match. It does crack me up that we’re dealing with teenagers and here their families are ready to have them married off. But we’ll go with it.

Enter Anne, a complete contrast to the stuck up, prim and proper crowd that surrounds Henry. She’s new to the area and doesn’t exactly come from money but her mother married into it. She’ll be starting at the same school as Henry and Catherine. It's love at first sight for Anne and Henry though she wants nothing to do with him. Henry won’t be swayed. Soon they're together shocking everyone including the entire student body at their high school.

Ius juxtaposes this relationship against the real life political intrigue that took place hundreds of years ago. Instead of a country and a conniving royal court, we have a high school from hell and a very powerful, conniving student council. Much like the real Anne Boleyn, this fictional one is maligned and regarded as trash. Henry is totally in love and doesn’t quite understand that his friends are against this union. His family only cares about connections viewing Anne as beneath them. Eventually rumors, plots and some very calculated moves take hold leaving Anne open to public judgment. Can she be strong enough to fight back and rally against the haters?

I thought Anne & Henry was a quick, fun read. While I personally enjoyed making the connections between the events in the book with the actual historical ones, you don’t need to know anything about the real-life duo to appreciate it. My only issues were Henry’s spinelessness and gullibility later on. Oh, and Anne wasn’t any better. I did though really like how Ius ended their story giving it finality. A nod to what did happen. Nice touch!  

~ Bel

   

     

     

Sway by Kat Spears Review & Interview

* * * * *

In Kat Spears’s hilarious and often poignant debut, high school senior Jesse Alderman, or "Sway," as he’s known, could sell hell to a bishop. He also specializes in getting things people want---term papers, a date with the prom queen, fake IDs. He has few close friends and he never EVER lets emotions get in the way. For Jesse, life is simply a series of business transactions.

But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming king, and all-around jerk, hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things. While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the very first time. He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget’s belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy. Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him. Could the tin man really have a heart after all?

A Cyrano de Bergerac story with a modern twist, Sway is told from Jesse’s point of view with unapologetic truth and biting humor, his observations about the world around him untempered by empathy or compassion---until Bridget’s presence in his life forces him to confront his quiet devastation over a life-changing event a year earlier and maybe, just maybe, feel something again.

This premise was plenty enough to persuade me to give this a go and what I discovered was not only far from expected but also exactly what I needed.

The story starts off with Jesse aka Sway getting beat up by Ken, the big man on campus, who has issues with Jesse being a little close to his girlfriend. From there we see how things came to this point. See, the term “I’ve got a guy” was tailor-made made for him. Jesse can get you anything you want and make arrangements for anything you need.  Nothing is off limits. Jesse doesn’t question the moral rightness of what’s requested.  So when Ken asks him to help him get close to a certain popular but quiet girl at school, Bridget, he doesn’t think twice.  His only rule is that he doesn’t allow anything to get close to him.  The Bridget assignment turns out to be a game changer. Not only does she get close to him, things also get personal.

There’s so much that goes on in Sway, from Jesse’s dealings with his peers at school to other questionable sorts away from it. Some of it is downright uncomfortable, morally questionable and well, illegal too.  But here’s the deal with Jesse – while he may be the biggest jerk who’s lacking a much needed filter, he has a keen understanding of human nature and how people think.  I found myself being impressed by his observations that are dead on and very matter-of-fact. For example, he has a particular business relationship with a certain dealer who is essentially a loser. However, Jesse glimpses a different side to the guy that wouldn’t have been as obvious to the rest of us.

What makes Sway intriguing is the fact that Jesse's this dichotomous personality that you can’t quite pin down. There are instances when he does things because they are self-serving yet you can't help but admire his business mind and ingenious plans. The guy is resourceful! Later, thanks to Bridget’s influence, he employs a different attitude. It’s a gradual evolution into becoming a different kind of man that’s as surprising to him as it is comical to the reader. By the end of the book, I liked Jesse so much that I was in complete wonderment as to how Spears pulled it off!

Another delightful aspect of the book is his budding friendship with two other characters – Pete, Bridget’s younger brother who’s about as anti-social as Jesse and Mr. Dunkelman, a gentleman at an senior community who pretends to be Jesse’s grandfather. Jesse and Pete have an antagonistic relationship that’s actually good for Pete, while Mr. Dunkelman gives Jesse just as much crap as he gives out. These two hit it off immediately and had me laughing so hard. Here’s an example of the humor and straightforward banter their unlikely friendship develops:

“It’s been a week. You’re not even going to try to talk to him?” Mr. D asked.

“What for?”

“I don’t know, “ he said. “You could try apologizing.”

“Apologize for what?” I asked as I looked up at him with a scowl.

“For being an asshole, “ he said impatiently. “That’s not in dispute, is it? The part about you being an asshole?”

See what I mean? This book is a fantastic read even if it has some somber and dubious moments.  Jesse with his complicated but intriguing persona surprised me by becoming one of my favourite characters this year. Sway is simply refreshing with its honesty and brusque language making it one of the best debuts I've read in a long time! 

~ Bel

Now for an added bonus, Kat Spears graciously agreed to an interview to talk about Sway. Some of her answers will surprise you. And she'll also share her thoughts on bacon.  Keep reading - it's so worth it!


What inspired Sway and the various personalities in the book?

Hoo boy, how much time do you have?

Sway is really the story of a friendship between two boys, Jesse and Pete. I studied a lot of Biblical history in college and found it endlessly fascinating. So,these two characters were inspired by Jesus and St. Peter and the relationship between them as portrayed through the Gospels.

I know. I know. I know what you are going to say. Jesse is a terrible person and Jesus was the son of God and a really cool dude who just wanted us all to be nice to each other. How could I even begin to compare these two people? But there are times when Jesus could be very hard on the people who were close to him, and St. Peter bore the brunt of that on more than one occasion. Eventually, though St. Peter had been a loyal and devoted follower of Jesus, St. Peter did betray Jesus more than once. It was a complicated friendship.

I really liked the idea of retelling that story, albeit with a huge amount of artistic license, as set in a contemporary high school. I didn’t follow the Biblical story to the letter, of course. Just looking at it loosely, Jesse performs a series of “miracles,” pulling off jobs and manipulations like no boy his age should be able to do; Pete becomes his disciple, adopting the bad boy persona. The betrayal in Sway comes from both sides, but I like to imagine that St. Peter felt somewhat betrayed when Jesus told the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer under torture and be killed. See what I mean? Complicated.

Other characters were all inspired by people I have known—some living, some dead. My biggest regret is that Carter was based on a boy I knew in high school and beyond. One conversation between Jesse and Carter was lifted from real life, a conversation he and I had when we were about 18. The person Carter is based on is now deceased, but I like to think he has become immortal through Sway.

Jesse is not the quintessential hero. He’s prickly and not exactly pc. Were you at all nervous about where he was taking you?

There are parts to Sway that I cringed as I wrote them. The one that really stands out for me is the scene in which Jesse describes the kids Bridget volunteers with at the Siegel Center. Though his delivery comes off as very insensitive, Jesse is really just describing what he sees. He’s brutally honest in his description of their physical disabilities, even mentioning that he finds the drool coming from one boy’s mouth to be revolting. This observation is cruel and unkind, and it makes us dislike Jesse a bit (or a lot).

There are two things at play that make this scene one that was both hard to write, and is now hard to read. One, is that we are socially conditioned to understand that describing people with special needs in the way that Jesse does is wrong. So, even if we were to think about a particular group of people in a certain way—whether you’re speaking of race, physical or intellectual disabilities, gender, religion—most people wouldn’t say it out loud, because most of the time it just isn’t socially acceptable (thank God).

And two, the other thing at play with this scene is that when a person feels really, really terrible—suffers from depression or has withstood tremendous grief—it becomes difficult to feel empathy and compassion for other people. Most of the time, when people are rude or unpleasant or mean, it is just because they themselves are deeply unhappy. So, Jesse, a deeply unhappy person who has closed himself off from feeling anything, can’t really see these kids in the way he should. He should feel guilt and remorse for being insensitive about the way he describes them, but he doesn’t, because he isn’t capable of experiencing those emotions.

Definitely some of the things Jesse says are offensive and make him a hard person to like. But there are a lot of people like that in the world, all fighting their own battles. It’s what makes this planet an interesting place to live.

Did I ever worry that my book would not be publishable, or people would be offended, because it deals with some issues that are not usually explored honestly and openly? Not really. All I did was write was a book that portrayed a high school I knew and understood, portrayed male teenagers in a way that I personally experienced them when I was a teenager myself. They say you should write what you know. The high school in Sway is the high school I knew.

Did I ever worry that people wouldn’t like Jesse (and, I suppose by extension, not like me)? If there is one important lesson it is that you can’t like, or be liked by, everyone in this world. All you can do is try to be nice to people and treat them the way you would like to be treated. Some people will be offended by Jesse, but I can’t help that. Others will appreciate his depth and complexity, and I wrote this book for them.

Did you have a specific message in mind when you wrote Sway?

No, I don’t feel like I really set out to create a message-driven book. These were just people who I got to know inside my head and they acted out the rest. But I have enjoyed reading about the meanings other people have discovered in reading Sway. One of my friends likes to discuss Sway as if it is real literature and not just something kind of funny that I wrote. She analyzes the characters’ personalities and motivations and it is fun to expand their back stories after the fact in conversation with her. I have to be honest, I was always really turned off by message-driven books for young people when I was a teenager so there is nothing I really preach in Sway. Except one point, that Jesse makes more than once, which is that recreational drug use is not the best idea if you want to accomplish good things in life. Smoking pot, drinking alcohol, dropping X—it doesn’t make you a better writer or artist. Quite the contrary. And I’ve lost several people in my life to drug and alcohol abuse, which is a horrible waste.

Which character in the book do you relate to the most or feel a special affinity with?

Jesse most of all. I understand that sense of turning off your feelings because some things are just too horrible to feel. Of course, then you have to let go of the good feelings too.

Jesse has chosen to wall himself off instead of experiencing hurt or regret. In a way, it’s almost…respectable. He doesn’t burden other people with his problems; never asks anyone to do him a favor he isn’t paying for with cash; and he tries to have the strength to navigate the world alone. In Jesse’s words: He’s a survivor. I can respect a survivor.

As you’re working on a story, when do you know that you’ve hit your stride?

Hmmm, I don’t think that I’ve ever hit my stride while writing. In fact, I really hate writing a first draft, getting the bones of a story down on paper. My first drafts always suck. A lot. My real joy is in editing and rewriting. I’ll write a draft, revise it about 100 times, hate it to the point of scrapping it altogether, and then one night I’ll wake up at 3:00 AM and know exactly what to do to make it perfect. It’s always a huge relief when that comes.With Sway I had the friendship between two boys and the characters were there but there was no high stakes, no real tension between them. And then, one day, I had the epiphany to throw in a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac and suddenly I had an underlying, secret conflict and with that a climactic betrayal to make it all work.

Now we’d like to switch gears just because. The BiblioJunkies motto is “books, boys, pie”. That being said …

Is there a book that you enjoy to re-read?

There are many books I read over and over again—open them to my favorite part and relish a little ambush on the stockade in Treasure Island, or the gasoline can scene in Stick, or the detective interviews in Murder on the Orient Express, or the London scenes of Sense and Sensibility. I’m kind of a lazy reader in that way and I always have a hard time meeting a new author to fall in love with. But when I do find an author to fall in love with (ahem, Peter Abrahams, I’m waiting for your call), I fall really hard. I can reread an Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams over and over. My third child is named after the main character, Ingrid.

Between us three BiblioJunkies, we have several book boyfriends and we love them all. Who’s the ultimate book boyfriend to you?

God, Dallas Winston, of course. The quintessential bad boy with a heart of gold (hello, Jesse Alderman). And Ernest Stickley in Stick. Also a bad boy. And, of course, the perfectly broken and tormented male lead…Batman.

Which dessert describes you best?

Does bacon count as a dessert? If not, it should. I think bacon would describe me best. Salty, not great when it’s too crispy, not really good for you, and always makes a mess to cook, but some people like it enough that they put up with these faults.

Thank you Kat, for joining us and giving us insight into your remarkable debut. 

Connect with Kat:

Twitter    I    Facebook    I    Goodreads