Review: Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Book Title: Pointe

Author: Brandy Colbert

Published Date: April 10th, 2014

Publisher: Penguin

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

Disclaimer: This book was a personal purchase.

Review:

Um...

Um...

Holy catfish, this book was far more complex than I ever gave it credit for. It's not "just" a ballet book with kidnapping and anorexia subplots. It involves friendships, boys, choices and, even a more dark subject matter, rape and I think realizing that was important. There was definitely more than met the eye for this book. It tackled a ton of tough subjects and it was done well, really well. When you first start reading this book, you think it's going to head in one direction, but it doesn't and that really threw me off for a little while.

Theo didn't always make the best decisions, but that's what I loved about her. She was real, she was human and she was dealing with more issues than I had ever dealt with in my life. She loved and was devoted to ballet, something that never wavered throughout the book. She was loyal to her friends Sara-Kate and Philip. She had supportive and loving parents who she had put through the wringer. And there's Hosea, he's spoken for, but Theo cannot help but be drawn to him. 

And then, there was Donovan. Her best friend who she hadn't seen in 4 years. In those four years there had been leads, but all had been false. Until the day, he returns. It's an ordinary day, a day much like the previous days. Except Donovan is back. 

Theo is desperate to see him, to talk to him, but he's not talking, his mother is honoring his request to keep a low profile. So Theo has no choice but to wait.

Waiting is hard for Theo. She likes being in control but she cannot control this situation. She cannot control anything about Donovan's return and the legal case that will follow it. Because there will be a legal case. The person who took Donovan will be put on trial. Worst of all, Theo must testify about the last time she saw Donovan before he disappeared. Secrets threaten to come to the surface, but Theo knows that she can't keep quiet anymore. She knows that she must spill secrets that she's kept for four years. 

The feels were definitely there in abundance. I cried a lot in the beginning of the book and I cried a lot at the end of the book, so major kudos to Colbert for giving her readers those all important feels. This book didn't read like it was penned by a debut author. It read much more like Colbert was a seasoned author. It was well written and beautifully written. 

I think this book was incredibly important for reasons that you'll find out as you read the book. It touches on important topics and it does it with honesty. As I laid awake in bed after finishing it, I felt my feelings for this book only soar higher. I want to be able to give this book a full five stars, but I wanted to see Donovan more in the book. He was the one I wanted to know more about. 

Yet I understood why he wasn't in the book that much and my favorite part between Donovan and Theo was at the end. It was beautiful, heartfelt and so damn perfect. 4.5 stars to this extremely important and beautifully written book. I definitely would recommend it to fans of contemporary YA and I will definitely read anything this woman writes.

Stacking the Shelves #40

This feature is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Hi guys, hope your week was awesome. This week brought a ton of e-ARC's my way, most of which I could have avoided if I had stayed off of Edelweiss. But, as I've mentioned before, I seriously lack self control when it comes to books. I got a couple of books from NG, 1 of which I was surprised to get. I am excited to attack the books as my reading slump is a officially O-V-E-R.

So let's check out what I received this week.

Bought

Received for Review

-Edelweiss-

Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1) by Anna Carey

Get Even (Don't Get Mad #1) by Gretchen McNeil

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch
Even In Paradise by Chelsy Philpot
Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

-NetGalley-

Hold On Tight by Serena Bell

Stone of Destiny (The Daanan Trilogy #2) by Laura Howard
Broken Hearts, Fences And Other Things To Mend by Katie Finn

Breaking Free by Winter Page

Gifted

-

Won
-

Definitely let me know if you've read any of these or if you are planning to. Don't forget to leave your links in the comments section.

Weekly Blog Wrap-Up

Monday- No Post

Tuesday- Blog Tour Review of A Life, Forward by Tracy Hewitt Meyer

Wednesday- Review of Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Thursday- Review of The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Matheiu

Friday- Role Reversal

Saturday- Review of Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Book Title: Say Whay You Will

Author: Cammie McGovern

Release Date: June 3rd, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

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

Review:

I will admit that I was insanely excited about this book. I mean cerebral palsy is so completely rare in books and yet many people have to deal with it in real life.Cerebral Palsy comes in different levels of severity but it is still massively under represented in books.OCD is more common in books, but this is the first book that I know of that combines both of these things. 

I really don't want to get preachy but people with disabilities want the same thing as non-disabled people want. They want to be accepted for who they are as a person.That's the journey that Amy finds herself on in this book.She starts off under her parents roof, coddled and protected to the hilt. Especially by her mother. Nicole feels it necessary to coddle the heck out of Amy even going as far as to interview "friends" for Amy.

I have had my own share of health problems. Not as severe as Amy's but I use a wheelchair for long distances and being disabled in a "visual way" does make you feel so lonely. People seem to shy away from you and friendships are hard to form & keep.I cannot imagine being nonverbal & unable to use your voice to communicate your thoughts. I was a part of a disabled kids & teens group about 15 years ago and I knew someone who was a lot like Amy.

Matthew's journey was in some ways, more special than Amy's. Amy was battling not only her mother, but also her own body and her dream of independence. Matthew was battling himself. OCD can also be very hard to deal with. I have OCD, but in a much milder form than Matthew dealt with. 

I love the little tasks that Amy set for him. She wanted him to get better and to overcome the OCD since she would never be able to do the same with her disability. Matthew found himself wanting to do it because of Amy and how they had developed a friendship. A friendship that is threatened by Amy's own mother who is clearly afraid that if Amy becomes more independent, she will no longer be needed.

About halfway through this book, I was genuinely conflicted on how I felt about it. But by the end of it, I realized how beautiful it was and how each of the characters, main and secondary had gone through their own journeys. I would absolutely recommend this book. It gets four stars mostly because it took awhile for me to really get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. 

Role Reversal

It's no secret that my mom and I are incredibly close. I know I've alluded to it in book reviews (when appropriate) It's also no secret that I have health problems. I have mentioned them in general terms before and don't worry, I'm not going to delve into them further today.

On May 20th, my mom will be having knee surgery. It'll be arthroscopic so she'll be discharged on the same day. Procedure should take about 2 hours max, but it's still surgery, and she'll be under general anesthesia for that. It's going to be such a change for me as I am used to me being on the operating table and not her. I am used to signing forms and talking with the surgeons and anesthesiologists etc. Yes, she's had 2 C-sections (last one being in 2000), but she is generally extremely healthy (thankfully she got her mom's genetics healthwise)

It's going to be a complete role reversal for both of us. I am comfortable in the patient role and she is comfortable in the caretaker role. Thankfully, with arthroscopic surgery, she won't be laid up for long. Not like it would be with full blown knee surgery.

If you could all please keep her in your thoughts, I'd be very appreciative. We are all so ready to have this taken care of.

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Matheiu

Book Title: The Truth About Alice

Author: Jennifer Matheiu

Release Date: June 3rd, 2014

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

Disclaimer: I received this e-galley from Macmillan via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Ever have really high hopes for a book and then you read it and find yourself really bummed by a lot of parts in the book? Well that was me with this book. I was about 40% of the way through it and I was so frustrated and angry at so many characters. These characters thought more about being popular than about being a good friend.I mean all of these rumors were swirling around Alice and not once did these kids stand up and stop the rumors. Nope they continued to trash her and spread increasingly horrible rumors about her.

It absolutely killed me to see that no one was willing to forgo their popularity to stand by Alice. It was heartbreaking to see that the only one who was on her side was nerdy Kurt. He was on her side from the beginning. Not because he wanted to sleep with her but because he knew she needed someone to be on her side.

Ugh Kelsie was a terrible person & friend. She valued popularity over friendship. I mean I get it, in high school popularity is the ultimate goal but I was so frustrated by her actions (she was the one who bothered me most) I really wanted her to have some character development but she didn't really. I mean she sort of did, but the author kind of half-assed it at the end.

I loved Kurt and his interactions with Alice were so sincere and they weren't forced at all. They were my favorite part of the book and honestly the only reason that this book wasn't a total miss with me. His friendship was exactly what Alice needed so she would know that she still had friends. Yes Kurt had his secrets and yes he didn't exactly tell her them at the right time,but he did tell her.

I do think Alice may have forgiven him just a tad bit too quickly. I mean the secret that Kurt had was a major one and it threatened to turn everything around. Yet, Kurt didn't say anything sooner. If he had, Alice would have gotten her life back a lot sooner.So I was a little mad at Kurt for that.

What really made me mad was the bathroom stall where people would just write terrible things about Alice. Things that were totally untrue, but definitely hurtful. As a former victim of bullying, that part was really hard to read.Bullies tear other people down because they want to feel better about themselves. That's not the way to do it people. 

Overall I didn't love the story but I didn't hate it either. Alice was a big plus in the book but she wasn't in it enough which is why I didn't enjoy a lot of it. Plus I really wanted her to have a voice in the story. She didn't really have a voice until the very end. I think the book would have been much stronger if they eliminated some of the other voices in the story and made more of an emphasis on Alice's story.

The character development was not as strong as I was expecting in this book which really bummed me out. The author had a chance to really go for it and I don't think she did that as well as she could have. Kurt and Alice were my favorite parts of the book (and the only two characters that I actually liked) So this book will be getting 3 stars from me.

Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Book Title: Open Road Summer

Author: Emery Lord

Published Date: April 15th, 2014

Publisher: Walker Books

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Order Links: Amazon, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Disclaimer: This book was a personal purchase.

Review:

This book made me want to blast some country music and have an impromptu dance party.

I needed a book to wow me after a recent reading slump and so on Twitter the other day, I asked if Open Road Summer would do that for me and the response was a resounding YES. Boy were they right. This book had it all, country music, friendships, boys and family and of course those all important feels. Unlike other debut books, this didn't FEEL like a debut book, it didn't feel like a brand new author wrote it.

Emery Lord writes like she's been writing books all her life. The writing is beautiful and I am so thankful for that. Oftentimes when a book cover is that gorgeous, the writing is lacking. Not in this case. It was beautiful and emotional and evocative so major kudos to Emery Lord for that. 

Dee and Reagan have been friends since they were 8 years old. They've seen each other through everything and now they are excited to spend the summer together. Reagan is the wild child and that wild child behavior got her into some trouble that included community service and a bad boy. Dee is an accomplished singer who is an up and comer in the country music scene. They couldn't be more different in the family department either. Yet, none of that matters to them. They remain best friends despite disagreements and the usual ebbs and flows in a friendship.

Sweet and sexy Matt Finch appears on the scene shortly after a scandal threatens to halt Dee's burgeoning career. Matt is everything that Reagan is not and on paper he seems to be a better match for Dee. Yet Dee is still hung up on Jimmy, the boy she left to follow her dreams.  Matt Finch was adorable and sweet and kind and basically my perfect boyfriend. He's a good fit for Reagan though and there's definitely mutual attraction between them early on. 

Something else that caught my eye while reading this book, was the progression of Reagan's relationship with her stepmom Brenda. Initially Reagan paints Brenda in a very negative light, but by the end of the book, things have definitely improved between the two of them. I really liked seeing that storyline and how it played out.

I absolutely adored this book and it is absolutely getting 5 stars from me. I am definitely going to be pushing this book on all of my fellow YA Contemporary lovers.

Blog Tour: A Life, Forward by Tracy Hewitt Meyer

Book Title: A Life, Forward (Book 2 in Rowan Slone series)

Publish Date: April 7th, 2014

Genre: NA

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Synopsis:

Her father is gone. Her mother is in jail. And Rowan Slone has left her dysfunctional, violent past behind. With college looming on the horizon, she has a new job that she loves, and a safe place to call home. She is close to achieving everything she ever wanted-a sense of family, a sense of purpose, and a sense of self.

But there are cracks in Rowan’s life that threaten to send her future crumbling to the ground. When her relationship begins to suffer, her father returns and her long-held secret is discovered, Rowan must find the courage to fight for the most important thing yet-herself.

Review:

When we first met Rowan Slone, she was dealing with a horrible home life that involved her abusive father, her drama-filled sister and her obese and depressed mom. Things had been like that since Rowan's brother Aiden had died in his crib 7 years ago. Rowan carried the guilt with her wherever she went and when things got too bad, she dealt with the pain by cutting herself.

Now her father's gone, her mother's in jail and Rowan is living with her boyfriend's family. But things aren't so good in the romance department either. Mike is away at college and things seem to be drifting apart between them. Rowan misses him so much and it doesn't seem like he misses her at all.

Now her father is coming back around. She doesn't want him around her but when he drops a bombshell on her, Rowan starts to feel guilty for pushing him away. Now this is where I really wish there had been more development in this storyline. I thought that it was too rushed and things were resolved way too quickly. 

I had an issue with Rowan this time around. She was too dependent on Mike for happiness. Yes she had had a rough childhood and teenage years. She longed for approval and acceptance from her family that when she got together with Mike, she made him her whole world. Yes, Mike is to blame as well. He could have tried harder to keep their relationship afloat but he didn't. I don't know if he was really into her or if he just wanted to save someone.

Watching Rowan slowly figure out what she wanted in life and taking steps to make sure she achieved her goals was great. She clearly wants to make something of her life and she's not willing to allow anyone or anything to stand in her way.

Loved Jess' storyline as well. So glad that Rowan was by her side throughout everything that Jess went through. Jess needed someone on her side as she dealt with unexpected surprises. Rowan's unfailing loyalty to her friend is wonderful to see. So often in YA books we have frienemies. Not in this book. Not with Jess & Rowan.

For the most part I did enjoy this book. I thought certain things were rushed and I wanted more on certain storylines and Rowan was a pain in the butt at times. She finally started to focus on her dreams again, which was a welcome reprieve from how she was in the beginning of the book. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed book 1 but I did enjoy it. I will be giving it 4 stars.

About the Author:

Tracy Hewitt Meyer is a multi-genre, multi-published author of new adult fiction as well as adult paranormal and contemporary romance. She has a B.A. in English and a Master of Social Work, both of which feed her true passion-a love of writing. Born and raised in the beautiful state of West Virginia, Tracy now lives in the mid-east with her family, a goldendoodle, and a bearded dragon.

Connect With The Author:

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