Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Book Title: Emmy & Oliver

Author: Robin Benway

Published Date: June 23rd, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story. 

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I was taking a bit of a risk with this book as it looked fairly fluffy and I don't usually go for fluffy. The premise looked promising and I thought there was a good chance of me enjoying the book. And I was right, for the most part. The beginning started off really well and I was pulled into the story almost effortlessly. Within the first 3% of the book I was full on sobbing, and I did in fact tweet the author about this very thing.

As the book went on though, I started to feel a little bored. I didn't love Oliver right away and I wasn't excited to pick the book back up at night. I trudged through it because while it wasn't a bad book, I just wasn't invested for a good chunk of the time. Now, as I look back on it, I'm about 95% sure that my mood was affecting my reading.

Right around the 60% mark in the book was where my feelings about the book improved significantly. I gobbled up the last 40% of the book in on sitting. I smiled, I cried, I even got a bit rage-y in certain parts. But I fell in love with Oliver and Emmy as a couple during this portion. I rooted for them, I grinned like crazy every time there was kissing.

The friendships were so solid and they had stayed that way the entire time Oliver was gone. Caro and Drew were awesome and I absolutely adored them. There was a time that I was frustrated with Emmy and how she put her new relationship with Oliver before her friendship with Caro. I could see why Caro was so hurt and I hurt for her.

The ending was emotional in the best possible way. I'm so glad that I stuck with this book. I ended up really enjoying it. I am giving this book 4 stars and I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Review: The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Book Title: The Revenge Playbook

Author: Rachael Allen 

Published Date: June 16th, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this poignant and hilarious novel, Rachael Allen brilliantly explores the nuances of high school hierarchies, the traumas sustained on the path to finding true love, and the joy of discovering a friend where you least expect.

Don’t get mad, get even!

In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.

Brimming with sharp observations and pitch-perfect teen voices, fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp tale—by the author of 17 First Kisses—about the unexpected roads that can lead you to finding yourself.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I loved Allen's first book, 17 First Kisses, and I wasn't sure if this book would live up to it, but it did. In a really big way. Like with 17 First Kisses, I was expecting something light and fluffy, but what I got was a book chock full of girl power, and some hard topics of conversation.

It has always been a big complaint of mine that high school athletes get special treatment. They get a pass on bad behavior, they get extensions on homework assignments, even when the non-athletes have asked for them for a legitimate reason and they don't get them. It's like they get privileges that other students don't get. 

Like they are the "golden boys"

Out of the four girls, Ana, Melanie Jane, Liv and Peyton, I think I liked Peyton the most. I related to her in a way that I couldn't relate to to the other three. She had special considerations due to her ADHD and she constantly tried to alert the teachers and the rest of the staff that she needed the boys (the football players) to stop bothering her so she could concentrate.

Did they punish the football players? Of course not.

Did they punish her by making her move so she wouldn't be so distracted? Absolutely.

I don't think I've been this angry over a book in a very long time. I was livid, actually more than livid if there is such a thing. It was the treatment of Peyton that enraged me the most.

Then we move on to Liv who has not had sex with her boyfriend, but she's still called a slut by a lot of the boys.

We have Melanie Jane who has sworn to remain a virgin until her wedding night. She used to be best friends with Ana until something changed between them.

Ana is hiding a secret. A secret that will devastate her family. She's choosing to keep it from them because when she tried to report it to the school & the law enforcement officers, she was told that she needed to keep it to herself or else one of the boys would lose his football scholarship.

When I read that part, I was furious. This is why so many high school girls are terrified to report any incidence of assault. They know that nothing will happen to the football players and other sports participants because they are athletes and are exempt from punishment. Schools need to stop treating these boys like they are a gift to mankind. Treat them as you would any other student, even if that means *gasp* punishing them.

These four girls have some similarities, but also a lot of differences, but the way they come together to fight back against the sexism and the misogyny surrounding the school, and most specifically the football team. They wanted nothing more than to beat the boys at their own game, even embarrassing them.

The presence of a list was also made known to the girls. This list is written by the BMOC (Big Man On Campus) Chad McAllister. It informs the rest of the football team that certain girls aren't worthy of them for various reasons (all of which have to do with either their looks or the fact that they haven't put out)

Barf.

Basically if you have a girlfriend who is on the list, you need to cut her loose. For the good of the team & its image of course. This was another scene where I had to literally get up and walk away from my Kindle because I was literally shaking with rage.

I loved the friendships that developed in this book. I loved how Melanie Jane wasn't ridiculed for being a virgin. I loved how despite their different home lives, and interests, they still managed to form a friendship. This entire book was awesome, but the ending was amazing, and I cried buckets because of certain things that happen at the end that I don't want to spoil for those of you who haven't read it yet.

Just please read it. I actually feel like this book needs to be in classrooms, especially high school classrooms. It's a must read for all teenagers and even school faculty. I loved this book for the messages it sent and for the powerful friendships that developed. I'll be giving it 5 stars and I cannot wait to get a finished copy of this book.

Review: The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Book Title: The Devil You Know

Author: Trish Doller

Published Date: June 2nd, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's USA

Genre: YA Thriller

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. 

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC as a gift from a fellow blogger. Thanks Emily!

Review:

So Trish Doller really knows how to write books that people will love, but she also knows how to write books that are so different from one another. This woman is insanely talented and I'd kill to have her talent for writing such dynamic stories. Her first two books were more of the contemporary romance type, with the flawed characters that I love so much. The Devil You Know was totally different, in a mind-blowing, fantastically awesome way.

I have a feeling a lot of people will be irked by some or all of Cadie's choices. Yes, she really does make some questionable choices, I'll admit that. However, Cadie has been this "perfect" teenager who has helped her dad raise her little brother ever since her mom died of cancer several years before. She has also been essentially holding down the fort by taking care of everything that her father should be taking care of. Cadie's been under immense pressure, and I couldn't blame her for just wanting to be a normal teenager, a teenager who is allowed to make stupid mistakes, and who isn't always perfect.

The book itself is slow in the beginning, just like Doller's first two have been, yet I knew some insanity was about to go down, so I was willing to wait and be patient. Doller has yet to disappoint me, and I just knew that she wouldn't disappoint me this time around. Early on, we're introduced to cousins, Matt & Noah (PSA authors, please stop using the name Noah)  and because of the synopsis, my brain starts spinning. Right away, I begin looking for clues as to who I could trust and who I couldn't.

Cadie has very strong opinions, all thanks to her mother who encouraged her to have strong opinions. This leads to her speaking up when she feels that Noah and Matt are trying to take ownership of her,

"Poach? Seriously? Like I'm an endangered white rhino instead of a person? Pretty sure I'm capable of choosing for myself, instead of waiting for you guys to decide who gets me."

Interestingly only one of the boys apologized for it. If I had been paying better attention to that part, I would have noticed the red flag.

The following day, the four of them meet Naked Ed. Oh my goodness, if I had known he was going to provide the last real bit of comedy in this book, I would have laughed even harder. He was awesome, and I wish he had been a bigger player in this story.

When Lindsay just up and disappears, that's when I knew something was fishy, and Cadie was probably in danger. I was really annoyed about how she handled that situation though. I mean, I know they weren't best friends, but by this point, red flags are slowly popping up all over the place. Instead of being worried, and questioning, she's falling hard for Noah and she's contemplating sex with him.

I do have to say that Doller treats sex very positively, and she uses it in a very empowering way. So often girls are told that "good girls don't have sex" and if they do have sex, then they're sluts or whores. Whereas if a boy has sex, he's a stud. I really, really hate the double standard. Cadie mentions the conversation that she had with her mother when she was 12 years old.

"Virginity wasn't something to be lost or won, given or received."

That quote was very thought provoking, but not quite as much as the next quote.

"And you don't lose value by having sex."

So many teenage girls are told that a boy won't want "sloppy seconds" or that if a girl has sex, she's worthless. I really think teenage girls need to read this book, just based off of the sex positive message that is in this book. I know the sex positive message isn't what this story is about, but it is in the story and it's something that I felt the need to mention.

When Cadie finds out that Lindsay didn't make it home after a supposed family emergency and also that she had told her family that she was still with Cadie, that's when Cadie begins to realize that something is not right and that she could be in danger. She begins to wonder if Noah is really all he's cracked up to be. She begins to wonder if she's missing something about him.

Near the end of the book, one of the boys labels his cousin as having antisocial behavior disorder, which is basically the same as being a sociopath. But as the book goes on, I realized that this boy was talking about himself and that he has this disorder, and that he's the sociopath.

"Sociopathy isn't an affliction Cadie. It's a gift."

Chills. All the chills.

This book was awesome. I hadn't read a really good thriller in a long time and I knew that Doller would deliver in a big way and she did. She delivered a creepy, terrifying book that reminded me of a roller coaster with all the twist and turns. It should come as no surprise that I'm giving this book 5 stars. She was already on my auto-buy list, and I really, really hope she writes another thriller.

Review: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Book Title: Royal Wedding

Author: Meg Cabot

Published Date: June 2nd, 2015

Publisher: William Morrow & Company

Genre: NA Contemporary

Series: Book 11 in The Princess Diaries series

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding--but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone--especially herself--that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from William Morrow & Company in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Boy was this a major blast from the past. I was so excited to see this book on Edelweiss and I immediately requested it and crossed my fingers. Of course I was thrilled to be approved for it, and instead of waiting until April to read it, I tore into it as soon as I finished a book.

I didn't realize how much I had missed these characters until I started reading, and it didn't take me long to remember why I had loved these books as a child. Cabot continues to tell Mia's story, although now there are "grown up" themes in the story. Other than marriage and her simply being a princess, there are references to sex, alcohol and other adult themes, so if you are expecting this book to still be be cute, awkward, and even naive Mia, you will be sorely disappointed. She still is cute, awkward Mia, but she's also an adult now.

Ahhhh, Michael, I still love you. Michael is still very grounded despite having a princess as a girlfriend. They've been going out for so long, I was worried that things between them would feel stale and old. Nope! They are just as cute and adorable as ever. He's supportive of her, and all she has to do, and she supports him in his endeavors. They really do have a perfect relationship. Well as perfect as it can be when they are frequently surrounded by bodyguards.

I had really missed Lily too. She had reminded me so much of myself all those years ago. She still reminded me of myself even though she had taken the path that I had walked away from. I loved how she was still Mia's best friend. Sometimes things can get a little murky when a woman is dating the brother of her best friend. Not with Lily, Michael or Mia though, thank goodness.

My only issue was that the title was ill fitting for what actually happened in the book. We don't even really get to see the wedding, which really annoyed me. We got to see the engagement and bits and pieces of the planning process, but most of the book was focused on the royal secret that Mia's father has been keeping from her and the rest of the family for years.

So not actually getting to see the wedding was the only reason that I am giving this book 4 stars. It was such a fun book, but I think it was weakened by the wedding ceremony not even appearing in the story.

Waiting on Wednesday #6 The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

This weekly feature is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. It's a way to showcase books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Arcadia “Cadie” Wells has one primary goal in life –– to escape the sleepy Florida town where she was born and raised. Since her mother's death, she's sacrificed her boyfriend, her spot on the soccer team, and even her plans for the future to raise her little brother and help her still-grieving father. On a rare night out at a party at the local state park, Cadie meets a couple of good-looking tourists and impulsively agrees to join them on their road trip from one end of Florida to the other. But when their adventure goes tragically wrong, Cadie’s new goal is to make it home alive.

Book Information

Book Title: The Devil You Know

Author: Trish Doller

Publication Date: June 2nd, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: YA Mystery

Book Link: Goodreads

My Reaction

Gimme this book. I adore Trish Doller's work and the fact that she's doing a mystery gets me super psyched. Plus, that cover is perfection. It's eye catching and totally awesome looking. She has not disappointed me yet so I don't think she will this time around. This book is one of those book I'd sell my soul for.

What books are you waiting for?