Book Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Page Length: 288 pages
Goodreads

With her genuine gift for comic writing, Sophie Kinsella blends comedy, romance, and psychological insight in this contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and delight.

Audrey loves her family, even if they are a bit off-the-wall.  When Audrey develops an anxiety disorder as a result of an unpleasant incident, her family is there to help.  Audrey now wears dark glasses whenever she feels the need to protect herself, but she's also making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah.

Then Audrey meets Linus, her brother's gaming teammate, and she is energized.  She can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before.  As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
Series: Standalone
Publication: Delacorte Press on May 13, 2014
Format: Hardcover, 225 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Family, Romance

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends - the Liars - whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution.  An accident.  A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Book Review: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Saint Anything
by Sarah Dessen
Series: Standalone
Publication: Viking Juvenile on May 5, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 417 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Family

Sydney has always felt invisible.

She's grown accustomed to her brother, Peyton, being the focus of the family's attention and, lately, concern.  Peyton is handsome and charismatic, but seems bent on self-destruction.  Now, after a drunk-driving accident that crippled a boy, Peyton's serving some serious jail time, and Sydney is on her own, questioning her place in the family and the world.

Then she meets the Chatham family.  Drawn into their warm, chaotic circle, Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance for the first time.  There's effervescent Layla, who constantly falls for the wrong guy, Rosie, who's had her own fall from grace, and Mrs. Chatham, who even though ailing is the heart of the family.  But it's with older brother Mac - quiet, watchful, and protective - that Sydney finally feels seen, really seen, at last.

Saint Anything is Sarah Dessen's deepest and most psychologically probing novel yet, telling an engrossing story of a girl discovering friendship, love, and herself. 

Series Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before & P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Publication: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on April 15, 2014
Format: Hardcover, 355 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Family, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

Jacket copy:

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.  They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she's written.  One for every boy she's ever loved - five in all.  When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only.  Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

This book review was originally written in 2014, prior to my blog's creation.  However, with the recent May 2015 release of To All the Boys I've Loved Before's sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, I decided to post both members of the series together as one compilation.  Here goes:

Better Than Perfect - Melissa Kantor

Better Than Perfect

by Melissa Kantor

Series: Standalone

Publication: HarperTeen on February 17, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Family

Jacket copy:

Juliet Newman has it all.  A picture-perfect family; a handsome, loving boyfriend; and a foolproof life plan: ace her SATs, get accepted into Harvard early action, and live happily ever after.

But when her dad moves out and her mom loses it, Juliet begins questioning the rules she's always lived by.  Suddenly it's difficult for her to remember why she cared so much about rocking Latin exams or snagging elite internships . . . or if her family was ever as happy as she thought they were.  And then there's Declan, the gorgeous boy who makes her feel alive and spontaneous - and who's totally off-limits.

Torn between the life she always thought she wanted and one she never knew was possible, Juliet begins to wonder: What if perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be?

After reading Melissa Kantor's Maybe One Day last year, I was eagerly awaiting her next title, Better Than Perfect.  Once again, the public library came to my rescue, and I found Kantor's newest release waiting patiently for me on the library's "new book" shelf!

Let me start off by saying I know a lot of people didn't particularly like or enjoy this book.  I however, much to the contrary, did.  Other reviewers said they couldn't relate to the main character and her sometimes very impulsive, rash decisions.  Others said they hated the slow pace of the story.  And others just simply couldn't stand the main characters, as they were sometimes annoying to the reader.

I'm not going to completely disagree with all of those claims.  Juliet was quite honestly, your typical high school overachiever.  She was extremely rash in certain circumstances, and as a reader, her impulsiveness caught me off guard at first, making me blink twice and having to reread the page.  I also felt at first, it was a bit difficult to get perfectly comfortable with the book and fall into the story.  However, as I continued reading on, I definitely fell into the storyline and craved each page.

And unlike a number of others, I could relate to Juliet.  Besides the two of us having quite similar names, I also feel as if I am, like Juliet, on the "overachiever" side, always striving, always wanting perfection.  For this reason, I loved reading about Juliet's story.  Though I am only a high school sophomore, I can completely relate to her SAT woes, her having to maintain her grades in school, and then, having to juggle everything else life unkindly throws at you.  Since I could relate to the main character on such a better level, it undoubtedly contributed to how I felt about the story.

Oh, and I love Melissa Kantor's writing.  I do.  Like Maybe One Day, her true gift with words was showcased in Better Than Perfect.  She can make you laugh, she can make you cry, she can make you want even more of her writing.  

The ending was perfect in my opinion.  Better than perfect.  Melissa Kantor is always able to nail the very last page, the very last sentence.  And she did.  She has once again.

I don't know why this book is receiving such low ratings.  I quite obviously disagree.  

Read this book.  It's another Melissa Kantor novel you can't live without.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand

The Last Time We Say Goodbye

by Cynthia Hand

Series: Standalone

Publication: HarperCollins on February 10, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Death, Family

Jacket copy:

There's death all around us.  We just don't pay attention.  Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before.  When she had a family that was whole.  A boyfriend she loved.  Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself.  And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died.  But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone - a text Tyler sent that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone.  But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

What's amazing about this book is how easy it is to fall into.  When I first opened the cover to face page one, I felt as if I somehow already knew Lex and was simply a friend sitting in during one of her therapy sessions.  Throughout the book, Cynthia Hand's writing consistently remained easy to follow, easy to love, and did not disappoint.  The author definitely has a way of spinning her words together, and with such a gift, was able to create a beautiful, contemporary standalone.

For a teenager, for anyone, really, Alexis is dealing with a lot in her life.  There's a weight burdening down on her shoulders that no one should have to deal with: the death of a loved one . . . the suicide of a loved one . . . her brother, Tyler.

Though Tyler is physically gone, his "ghostly" presence is still very much alive and with Lex.  She thinks she's going crazy, seeing flashes of him in the mirror, the corners of her vision, and in her nightly dreams.  The reader gets to know her loved and deeply missed brother, Ty, simply through Lex's memories of him.  Along with Lex, it's hard to believe he's really gone - he's really passed.

Throughout the story, Alexis is trying to come to terms with Tyler's death, trying to believe that time really does heal all.  While Lex is recovering, her life does continue on, no matter how impossible that may seem.  However, other aspects of her life suffers, such as her closest relationships with those she cares about.  People like Steven, a boy she's trying very hard to not be in love with, but quite obviously is.  His character is one that as the reader you can't help but absolutely love.

Now, however beautiful Cynthia Hand's writing was, it didn't quite touch me as it hoped it would.  I think, perhaps, it wasn't the writing or the story that was lacking, it was simply my own personal life and circumstances at moment that couldn't enable me to feel the words exactly as I'd wished to.  Books mean different things to different people depending on where they are in life.  Maybe if I had come across this book at a different time, it would mean so much more.  And unfortunately this is part of the reason why I couldn't quite give the book a five.

I don't usually particularly take interest in "journal entry books," but this one is worth the read.  However sad Lex's terms were, it was great to come along on her journey with her.  It's painful.  It's difficult.  It hurts your heart, but it's written beautifully and will ignite the flame of hope and promise to distinguish some of that aching.