Systematic Student:
pretty awesome

*Disclaimer: I received this book through One ARC Tours.

Losing Faith by Denise Jaden is a story of life and death, pain and hope, and friendship. Brie hasn't been close to her sister Faith for several years. Their parents are deeply religious, and Faith is a fervent believer as well. Brie is more interested in whether she really wants to spend alone time with her boyfriend than listening to people talk God, and it's caused some tension between family members.

Then Faith dies. Brie feels like she's losing ground, and there's no one for her to talk to. People at school don't know how to deal with her (what do you say to someone who's been that close to death?) her boyfriend is more interested in her body and her parents are so wrapped up in their own grief there is no room for Brie.

Then, Tessa starts talking to Brie. She's the tough chick, always dresses in black, scowls at everyone and seems more than willing to beat you up. Brie's always been terrified of her, so she's definitely wary when Tessa starts being, almost... nice. Turns out, there's a lot more to Tessa than meets the eye and she's the only one there for Brie as she starts getting closer to the answers about why her sister died.

The characters in this novel were amazing. I was so impressed with how Jaden wrote these characters. Because they are real. I believed in them. They didn't always act how I wanted them to, but I never felt that anything they did was really out of character. The only character I didn't fully believe was Faith, but I won't tell you why because that would spoil the book, and she's dead most of the time, so I can overlook that. Tessa is tough. She doesn't take crap from anyone, and because she's been so isolated from people for so long, she's really abrupt and doesn't really know how to communicate. And she stayed that way. Too often in books we have the tough guy/girl who just needs that one friend to open them up to show that, Hey! They really are totally great after all. But, most people who have gone years without much in the way of interpersonal communication have a lot to learn about being with other people, and it's definitely not something you learn overnight.

The only character I wasn't satisfied with was Pastor Scott, the youth pastor. I really felt that Jaden did him a disservice in her description. Maybe the problem is with me, but I totally kept waiting for it to be revealed that he was a creep of some sort or another, and every time he was mentioned, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But, even though he's described in a way that makes me feel like he's creepy, he isn't. He's actually pretty minor.

The characters in this story were all developed really well, and their relationships with each other were intricate, and believable. I'm sure it's not surprising, given the nature of the YA coming of age novel, but there was a lot of growing up done in this book and it wasn't a disappointment. They grew as people in a believable way, enough to leave you satisfied that these people will continue to develop into great people you'd actually want to spend time with, but not so much that it leaves you disbelieving it actually happened.

The story also makes you think about what people are like inside. It's scary when you realize that someone who seems normal and likable is all kinds of crazy underneath. This is realistic fiction — something that could happen to any of us, but also something that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. It's definitely a book to make you think, to make you wonder, and one that I'll be thinking about for a while yet. And, I'm very interested in what Jaden does next.

This review is posted as part of Once Upon a Bookcase's Body Image and Self-Perception Month.

Have you ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Knowing that the character deserves every bad thing coming his way, but hoping that, somehow, things will work out better in the end? I don't know that I had ever truly experienced that before reading Tenderness by Robert Cormier. I generally prefer (ahem-totally love) reading books where the bad guy totally gets his comeuppance. I'm all about hard-core justice for my villains. Mercy?! *Scoff,* What's that. Don't you know what he's done?!

Reading this book changed that. This is the first time (or at least the only time that comes immediately to mind) where I have truly felt bad for our bad guy. Other times when the bad guy is pitiable or shown mercy, it is because they aren't really all that bad, merely misunderstood. Eric Poole may be misunderstood. That's a distinct possibility. But, there is no denying the fact that he is bad. He's a sociopath. When we meet Eric, he's been in a Juvenile Facility for the last three years for the cold-blooded murder of his mother and step-father. Or course, it was justified because of the 'severe abuse' Eric has been living with, so the state tries him as a juvenile instead of an adult, which means he will be released after he turns 18 and his record will be expunged. No one knows about the three young girls Eric murdered, or so he thinks.

If I had to sum up my thoughts/feelings/idea of this novel in one sentence, it would be revolve around the quote that begins this novel: "To know the pain of too much tenderness" — Kahlil Gibran. One generally equates tenderness with only positive things. It brings to mind images of gentleness, kindness and love. But, what about the idea of too much tenderness? Is that possible? Apparently. Lori and Eric are searching for that tender emotion. Almost every action is driven by this desire to experience tenderness. They are always seeking it, they look for and find it in all the wrong places and they never grasp it for long. It creates intense dysfunctions within each character.

Eric kills young girls to find it and Lori subjects herself to all manner of unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances to feel it. Their paths cross and Lori decides that Eric is the one who can give her what she seeks. She goes with him, knowing that he murdered his mother and step-father (but he was so abused!) and later discovers that the murmurs about Eric killing young girls is also true. But, Eric is tender with her. She loves him. She informs Eric that she will stand by him, ignoring his past and assisting him in the future if he will simply remain tender with her. And how can he refuse that, especially once he begins to care for her, as much as he is capable of caring for anyone.

If we only heard from Lori's perspective, it would be incredibly easy to hate Eric and despise him for the crazed cold-blooded killer he is. But, he isn't, is he? I still don't know. We also hear from Eric. While Eric never demonstrates any remorse for what he's done, he too merely desires a little tenderness in his life. Before his mother remarried, she and Eric had a very close relationship. The man she married and Eric do not get along at all. Eric despises him and he thinks Eric is rather in the way. Eric seeks compassion and tenderness from these girls and finds that the only way he truly feels able to experience it is upon their deaths. However evil that is, I can't hate him for it. He seems genuinely puzzled when the main detective on the case calls him a monster and surprisingly, I found myself agreeing.

By the end of the novel, he seems genuinely concerned for Lori's welfare. He takes care of her, makes her feel special and begins to show her what she has been searching for. And there is no doubt that by the end, he truly cares for her. Although abrupt and a bit jarring, the ending suited the story perfectly. It was tragic, but it was the only way to end the story and be true to each character. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I ended up heartbroken for each of our main characters. None of them really received their happy ending.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that will influence my thoughts as well. I can't imagine someone with such a low image and perception of themselves that they would be willing to subject themselves to what Lori willingly puts herself through before and after meeting Eric. What would drive an attractive young woman to such lengths and who is to blame for not teaching this girl that she has value all on her own. This is a story that will both warm and break your heart and one that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff is the story of Mackie. Mackie is in high school, and he desperately wants to fit in, and live his life, but he has a secret, one that, if anyone found out, would likely mean the end of him.

He lives in Gentry, a quiet, unassuming town that hides a secret beneath the ground. Every so often, a child will disappear in the night, to be replaced with a child who looks similar but is, somehow, not quite right. Those children generally die soon after, and although the family grieves, no one acts like anything out of the ordinary has happened.

Until Tate's younger sister Natalie disappears, and Tate knows that what died in the crib was not her little sister.

The town of Gentry seriously creeped me out. Not because they have fairy like (evil) creatures living underneath their streets, but because no one ever talked about it, or acted as if it was anything out of the ordinary. I don't understand how people can live in a place like that, and do nothing about it. I would move. I especially don't understand why Mackie's mom stuck around. She hates the fey creatures that inhabit the underground, and is terrified of them, but (and this is a pretty big but) she stayed there. Why?!

Anyway, this was such a great book. The writing was wonderful, and I really felt like I could believe that these things were happening. It made me think about what I would do in a similar situation, which makes me think of Tate. I pretty much think she is like, the greatest teen heroine character I've read in a very long time. She's hard-core. She knows that what died in place of her sister wasn't really human, and she refuses to accept that everyone is just going to turn aside. She knows something isn't right, and she does something about it. I would like to feel that I would react like Tate in a similar situation. I've always been really close to my family, and I'm pretty sure that if you vanished with one of my little brothers, or my nephews I would raise hell to get them back and bring you down. Tate just made me really happy in that little angry place inside.:)

Mackie is also a great character, and I was amazed at how well he was crafted. (I feel weird saying crafted about a character that's so realistic to me.) High school is a hard time for everyone. It's when you are learning who you are, and trying to find and create your place within your surroundings. Everyone has those moments when they feel like they don't belong. How much harder would it be for someone like Mackie who wants to fit in, but knows that he really doesn't belong.

I loved watching Mackie learn more about himself, and why he is unique. Most of the replacement children die soon after being left in the human world, but Mackie has lived topside now for years (although he is sick all the time...) Anyway, watching Mackie learn that there were people who knew him, and understood him (more or less) but still loved him and wanted to be around him. It warmed my heart, because he's such a great character. He's a guy I'd like to run into in 10-15 years just to check up and see how he's doing.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

* Disclaimer: I received this book as part of One ARC Tours.

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin was a great read. For the most part, Avery was a great character. My heart broke for her as she tried to accept and understand the senseless and brutal murder of her parents. For most of the book, I felt that Avery was a strong character, and someone I could have been friends with in high school. The only time I didn't particularly love Avery was when she was swooning over Ben. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Ben. I actually thought he was a good love interest, and a great addition to the story, and I liked almost all the scenes where they were actually together. However, it got a little old listening to Avery having the same thoughts about Ben over and over.

I also loved the descriptions of the forest. I have always loved trees and the woods. When I was younger, and playing those imagination games, I used to pretend that I was being chased through a thickly wooded area by someone just faster than me. But, my unknown pursuer was also bigger and less agile than I was, and kept running into the trees and brambles that I so nimbly avoided. Oddly enough, this was never a scary game, it was always one that left me feeling empowered and free. (Don't ask my why... I'm sharing potentially embarrassing childhood information here, give me a break!) Reading about the forest in this book brought all those great memories back. It makes me want to look around for some wooded areas to run through, preparing myself for that inevitable day when being able to run through the forest will be what saves my life. It isn't often that a description in a book brings back such vivid memories for me.

I've also always loved fairy tales, and although they were very subtle, I loved the slight elements of Little Red Riding Hood this book contained. The fairy tale elements aren't overt or anything, are in fact subtle enough I could very well be imagining them, but either way, I feel like it added a lot to the story. I won't share them, other than a young girl going through the woods to live with her grandmother because it is fun to look for them on your own, and several of the connections I noted are spoilers. I had such a great time reading this book and watching everything unfold that I wouldn't want to ruin that for anyone.

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang is the story of young Emmajin, the eldest grandchild of the Great Khan. Her closest friend is her cousin, Suren, the eldest grandson of the Khan. Strength and fighting skills are valued in their culture, and Emmajin desperately wants to be allowed to serve in her grandfather's military. She would be the first.

Her grandfather gives her an important assignment. She is to become the companion and guide to the young traveler Marco Polo, and his father and uncle, who are traveling with them. She is basically a spy — sent to extract secrets that will make it easier for her grandfather to conquer their lands, and fulfill the prophecy from the Gods that their empire would unite the world.

Predictably, as Emmajin gets to know Marco better, she stops thinking of him as a stranger, or enemy and begins to consider him a friend, and then — more.

Although I found several parts of this story to be fairly predictable, I still really enjoyed the book. I thought that Emmajin was a great character, and we see a lot of growth in her over the course of the story. She really comes into her own. In the beginning, she is enthralled by the stories told in the courts about the mighty battles their warriors fought, and the grand acts of heroism and valor in battle. She can't imagine anything more rewarding or wonderful than being involved in something like that. But, as the story progresses, and she begins to learn more about Marco Polo's European ideals, and his desire for peace, she starts to question her belief systems, and view their culture from the eyes of an outsider. Eventually, Emmajin learns the hard way that battle is not all glory. The enemies have faces, lives, and stories of their own.

I loved watching her learn about differing points of view, and realizing that there isn't only one way of doing things. I thought Emmajin was a very well drafted and carefully thought out character. Unfortunately, she was about the only character I thought was fully imagined. Suren is Emmajin's best friend. They've been inseparable since they were tiny, and continue to be close as they grow. But, Suren is only ever fleshed out in relation to Emmajin. It's almost like he is only fully a person when sitting next to Emmajin. I felt like that about most of the other characters, including Marco Polo. To toss in a bit of philosophy, it reminded me of Idealism, which is the idea that there is no real reality. Everything we know/see only exists in relation to us. Sort of like The Matrix, except we aren't really plugged into any machines.

I wished that there had been more character development outside of Emmajin, but my biggest problem with the story was the ending. I thought that the ending was unrealistic. I don't want to go into details, because that really ruins the story, but I didn't believe it at all. I stopped believing what was happening as soon as Emmajin was sitting around the fire at the camp with Marco Polo, her grandfather and other members of the court and hunting party. It just would not have happened like that, and I feel like the author just needed a quick and happy resolution.

I do think this is a book worth reading. I wish the author had stayed a little truer to her characters when writing the ending. I think it was a disservice to both the characters and the reader to end it as she did. That being said, overall, I still enjoyed Emmajin's character and her discoveries about her world, and I enjoyed following her interactions with people.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry is the story of Cheyenne, a young girl accidentally kidnapped when someone steals the SUV she's sleeping in. She's sick, (pneumonia) and she's blind.

I can't imagine how terrifying that would be. Being kidnapped would be horrifying enough, but to be blind as well?! I can't imagine. I thought this was handled very well by the author. Cheyenne's emotional state when she realized she was being kidnapped seemed very real. She tried threats, she tried bargaining, and she tried begging. She was scared, but she's also a smart girl, and she thought things through — used her brains.

It was also interesting to watch Griffin's character, and discover more about him. He's the boy that takes the SUV, but right from the beginning, it's pretty obvious that he's not an inherently bad kid. There are outside influences on Griffin that seem to be shaping his behavior, and that broke my heart, just the tiniest bit.

Overall, reading this book I was more impressed with the characters than I was the story itself. Large parts of the story were just a little bit too unbelievable. It was hard to suspend my disbelief long enough to take what was happening to or between the characters seriously. However, I thought this was an interesting look into human characteristics. It's often hard to know who we will be in different situations, and how we would react to them. April Henry has us look into what circumstances might make of us. Griffin doesn't have to be a bad kid, he's just desperate for his father's love and approval. Cheyenne wasn't always blind but once she got over the initial shock and depression, she didn't let it keep her down, and she learned to live around the blindness. It makes me wonder how I'd react to various stimuli.

And, I also have to add that I loved the climax of the story! It was very well done, and the only part of the story I found to be compulsively readable. It was handled wonderfully, and was just realistic enough to have been possible.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read, but not one I found to be terribly memorable. It's a book I'm not going to remember much about down the road, but it's that book that will come to mind at odd moments and make me stop, to think and contemplate on life.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through We Love YA Tours.

Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science by Susan Hughes is a fun look into nine mysterious disappearances, many going back to ancient times.

The book is definitely geared toward middle grade readers. The language was on a level younger kids could understand, and larger words (like Anthropology) that young kids might not have come into contact with previously are explained in a way that does not make the reader feel stupid or condescended to. And, the author also included a glossary in the back of the book to use as a reference guide.

This is a great starting point, and would definitely be a book I'd direct children toward if they showed an interest in history, or science. My main complaint with this book is that there wasn't a lot of detail. Both our introduction to the original mystery, and its resolution were told with just the basic facts presented. Knowing that this is a book geared toward younger kids makes that understandable and acceptable, but I still found myself wishing for more detail. But, this is a great place to start. If mysterious disappearances intrigue you, this is likely a book you will enjoy as a starting point, but don't expect very much new information if you are already familiar with the cases.

Although I did enjoy reading this book, it doesn't cross over for adults as well as I'd hoped. However, I do not fault the author or the book for that, because it is meant to be a place to initially learn about some of these disappearances, and it was written for kids. If you have kids who are interested in history or science, I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book and giving it a shot.

*Disclaimer: Review copy received from the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is a fun contemporary romantic YA. I don't read a lot of fiction where the primary plot line revolves around romance, but like watching a chick flick, every once in a while it just hits the spot. And this book is like that.

I felt really bad for Anna when the book first started. Her dad is a best selling author who has decided that to impress his buddies he needs a bigger profile, and more pretentious things to talk about. So, he decides he is going to send Anna to an American boarding school in Paris, France. Without asking her how she feels about it. For her senior year. Anna already has problems with her dad, considering he walked out on them when her brother was a baby and now sends money and not much else and this definitely makes things worse. Her mom can't help her and Anna is bitter, scared and lonely when she first gets to Paris. Her meeting with next door neighbor helps bring her into a new circle of friends, and give her some bearings and this is where her story starts.

The characters are very well written, with multi-faceted personalities, flaws, shortcomings, and positive traits in a believable combination. None of these characters are perfect, all of them make stupid mistakes and bad choices, but they all also have many redeeming qualities too. They not only have personality traits, they also have hobbies, preferences and quirks. Like Anna who is almost obsessively neat and absolutely adores movies, especially the classics. These characters were written as if they were real people. Because the characters were real, the relationships between the characters also felt very real. I hate reading books where the romantic connection consists of a glance across a room, instant hormonal craze, one conversation and BAM! I'm head over heals in love. Things like that don't actually happen. You can't be in love with someone that fast. What you can be however, is in lust. Which is what Anna is when she first meets beautiful boy Etienne St. Clair.

But, St. Clair has a long term girl friend, is being crushed on by a mutual friend and is therefore totally off limits. So, she thinks he's totally hott, but doesn't try to make anything happen. They become friends and over time she realizes that Etienne is her closest friend. It get complicated when emotional attachments start to muddy the waters, but Anna is trying really hard to keep her head up, and not cross that boundary line. They toe the line, they nudge it, but they never cross it. Until they do...

Although mostly lighthearted in tone and topic, there are serious elements to the story as well. Both Anna and Etienne have problems with their fathers that need resolution, and the book brings up the topics of pain, death, loss and betrayal. It's a credit to the author that each of these topics was handled in a realistic way that enhanced rather than detracted from the story line, and didn't bog the story down. I've read too many books that are supposed to be about one thing and end up getting caught in the black abyss that is the sub plots.

I loved this book. I thought it was scads of fun to read, and I'm beyond desperate to visit Paris now. It's always been high up in my top 5 places to visit list, but after reading this book I feel like I needed to be there yesterday. I loved that the author included a lot of touristy sites, as well as places a little more off the beaten path. It made me feel like I could really be there. And man, do I want to go hard core!

Although not my usual fare, this is definitely a book I'm glad I read, and one that I wouldn't mind reading again. I was very excited to hear that Perkins has two companion novels in the works. I'm glad that we aren't getting a continuation of Anna's story, because it is over, but that there will be more coming soon from Ms. Perkins. Yay for Anna!:)

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Brooklyn Story by Suzanne Corso is the story of Samantha, a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the late 1970s, desperate to escape across the bridge into what she knows will be a better life. But then, at 15, she meets Tony, a local Brooklyn Boy with ties to the local mob.

I was intrigued by the idea of this book, but unsure what to expect. The book mirrors experiences in the authors own life — growing up in Brooklyn and living through an abusive relationship. The last book I read that took inspiration from the authors personal life was probably my worst read thus far in 2010, so I was a little worried about this story. I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised by how this story turned out.

The issues that Samantha is dealing with during this story — poverty, crime, drug abuse, abusive relationships etc — are something I have never had any experience with. My childhood is split between small town Western Washington and rural Conservative Southern Idaho. I don't know of anything that's farther removed from the life described here in the Italian section of Brooklyn. There were times when I felt the narrative to be overly wordy and detailed, but it enabled me to experience some small part of what life must have been like for Samantha. Although it never felt quite real to me, it was obviously real to Samantha.

I also really enjoyed the lyrics from popular songs that Samantha felt spoke to her at one time or another. I love old music and was pleased by how many of the songs I recognized and like.

My one major complaint with this story is the narrative voice. The story begins with 19 year old Samantha walking into a court room where Tony is waiting to be sentenced. We are then taken back with her to the summer she was 15 when she met Tony and the story is told from there, until the final chapters when she is again 19 and discussing the end of this stage in her life. But, I never felt like the narrative could have been written by a 19 year old. I'm still pretty close to 19 myself, and this is not how we talk. Samantha spends the entire book focused on and dedicated to her writing, so it makes sense that it would be more mature than the average 19 year old, but I still felt more like I was reading the writing of someone closer to 30. Which is fine, because I am, but it never felt quite... right.

And then there is Samantha herself. She is a pretty strong character with a firm sense for her goals, but I was completely amazed at how incredibly naive she was. I understand that she was 15, and very inexperienced with boys, but I couldn't believe how much she willfully misunderstood. It amazed me the power we have to rationalize and justify almost any action. It's a little scary how easy Samantha found herself sucked into an abusive and scary situation, willing to explain and will away nearly everything Tony was doing to her. The was the author writes makes it seem like these abusive and unhealthy relationships are the norm in Brooklyn, and this saddens me more than I can possibly say. No one deserves to be treated like garbage.

Overall, this is a story I think is worth reading. Samantha is a strong character who knows what she wants and really does work hard to attain that. There were a few times when I didn't feel like her character was totally consistent, but she's also 15 and exploring new things for the first time. I was also a little confused by Tony's behavior. Without trying to give spoilers away, it sometimes seemed like what he said and what he did were completely unconnected, like violently claiming her as a possession, but allowing her to remove him from her life.

Regardless of any complaints I had with the story or writing (which were not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the story), I'm impressed with Ms. Corso for writing this story. Given the parallels between her own life, I imagine it must have been really hard. I watched a short video of her talking about her book, and she said she wrote it so that women could take away from it the knowledge that it is always possible to leave, always possible to get yourself out of a bad situation. She hopes that women who find themselves in this kind of trouble take heart and comfort in knowing there is more out there for them, and that I think is an amazing thing to give to a woman. Here's to hoping that it works.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Cloaked is another modern fairy tale retelling by Alex Flinn, the woman who wrote the ever popular Beastly (Beauty and the Beast) and the recently released A Kiss in Time (Sleeping Beauty).

I've made no secret about the fact that I absolutely adore fairy tale retellings, and I very much enjoyed Flinn's first two tales. Cloaked was just as much fun to read as the first two stories, but I actually liked this one even better.

Before I get into the story itself, I need to mention one of my most favorite parts of the book. In the beginning of each chapter, Flinn included a quote from one of the Grimm's Fairy Tales she took inspiration from and included it under each chapter numbering as a sort of foreshadowing for what was to come. I love the original fairy tales, and have read them many times, so it was beyond delightful to see them quoted within the story.

Cloaked is the story of Johnny, a young boy trying to help his mother pay their bills by spending all his free time working in their family shoe repair shop, located in a large Florida hotel. Johnny has big dreams, but is realistic enough to know that all they will ever be are day dreams. He works in the shop, but his real passion is design. He has notebooks filled with designs for high end, beautiful shoes. He's even managed to save enough scraps and materials to make up a prototype, and he knows they are a good design. But alas, he needs to stay behind to help his mother, and their is no way they will be able to afford college or trade school to further this dream. Although he wishes and hopes that there was some way something might be different, he has resigned himself to his fate.

But, in the way of all fairy tales, fate decides there is something more in store for our unassuming hero, and when a foreign princess (think Paris Hilton with a crown) comes to stay at their hotel, Johnny's life will change forever. Because real magic exists in the country out fair princess comes from, and her brother has been turned into a frog in a wicked attempt for the witch to steal their throne for herself and her evil oaf of a son. The princess is desperate for assistance, and promises Johnny money and marriage if he successfully saves the prince. In need of money, desperately hoping for something more out of life, and afraid to offend the princess, Johnny agrees to look into the disappearance of her brother.

It takes Johnny some time to admit and accept that magic really exists, but once he does, he finds himself in the middle of an impossible adventure, giving assistance to talking geese, taking aide from rats and foxes and searching every where for a missing toad all while being chased by magical crazy folk. By his side, ready and willing to offer whatever assistance she can is Meg, Johnny's longtime best friend who helps her family run the coffee shop also located in the hotel.

I adored the mash up of fairy tales included within Cloaked. We see elements of The Six Swans, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Valiant Tailor, The Golden Bird, and of course, The Frog Prince. Almost all of these tales come from my favorites of the Brother's Grimm. Being so familiar with fairy tales in general, and these fairy tales in particular did mean that I was able to predict a lot of what was about to happen, but there was enough that surprised even me that I was not left feeling like this was another predictable retelling.

This was a wonderfully fun story, filled with mischief and mayhem, love and loss, and the hope for brighter days. Johnny was a great character, well rounded and fully written. There are times when he is your typical 17 year old boy, but he is so much more than that. He's loyal and loving, willing to put others before himself and he truly wants to do the right thing. He is sacrificing his dreams to protect and assist his mother. Meg was also a wonderfully written character. Although we don't see as much personal development in her as a character, a lot of the growth we see in Johnny is a direct result of Meg's influence and company.

All in all, this was a wonderfully enjoyable book. It's the perfect combination of reality and myth, fact and fiction, and is full of all the elements which make a wonderfully perfect fairy tale. This is a story that I very highly recommend to any and all whole love a good fairy tale.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting is the sequel to The Body Finder . (click for my review).

Violet is a high school girl who has the uncomfortable ability to sense the echoes of those who have died a violent death. These echoes linger on both the victim and the villain. We learn a little bit about this ability in The Body Finder, but I really liked that we are able to explore Violet's abilities with her in Desires of the Dead. Violet is slowly learning more about her ability, and through knowledge, she slowly begins to gain control as

In The Body Finder, the mystery has a strong sense of urgency to it that was missing in this book. Although the prologue does set us up nicely to fear for Violet, we learn early on that the 'bad guy' whose thoughts we are listening to is a vengeful teenage girl. It's a lot harder to be afraid of a teenage girl than it is to fear a sociopathic serial killer who has been killing young girls for years. Although being in the mind of the bad guy was a strength of the first novel, I actually think it was a bit of a weakness this time. As I said, there's just something infinitely less fearful about a young girl who just hates you because you have a better boyfriend, and that is never hidden from the reader. Knowing this, it makes each of her actions less threatening, and I never really feared for Violet the way I did the first time around. This one also has a predictability to it that the first one did not, but it was not so much as to ruin my enjoyment of the story.

I was also unsure how I felt about the potential involvement of the FBI 'liaison' in Violet's life. I'm not sure where that story line is going to go, but I have a feeling it can either be really great, or really awful... And, I desperately hope that it doesn't devolve into yet another love triangle. I love that this book doesn't have one, and I wouldn't want that to change.

Speaking of Violet and Jay, their characters are just as great this time around as they were before. I really like both characters, and I think that Derting has done a great job creating believable teenage characters in a believable and healthy relationship. Jay does look out for Violet, and takes protecting her seriously, it's definitely in a non creepy/controlling way. He really cares about her, and just wants her safe. I love that they were best friends before they started dating, and that they have an actual foundation based on more than just, 'Wow! You're like, totally hott!'. Not only are their individual characters realistic and well written, but the dynamics of their relationship are also believable.

This is another great read from Kimberly Derting, and she's definitely going to stay on my 'watch' list. I look forward to what she comes out with next.

*Disclaimer: This book was received through Star Book Tours.

Fixing Delilah is so much more than it appears. If this book is anything to judge by, Sarah Ockler is a writer to watch out for because she has an incredible ability to form realistic and wonderful characters, relationships and settings. I haven't believed so much in the actions of the characters I was reading about in a long time. I have been planning to read Twenty Boy Summer for a while now, but after reading this book, it's definitely higher up on my tbr now.

Delilah used to be a good girl, who got good grades and never got into trouble, the same way she used to be close to her mom. But her mom's job is demanding, and over the years, they spend less and less time together until all they seem to do it fight. And, Delilah is facing down a whole bunch of crap at school that she can't seem to get a handle on, and no one seems like who they are suppose to be anymore.

Delilah has legitimate problems at school and home and she reacts the only way she knows how. I was impressed by the way Ockler handled this. In order for Delilah to need 'fixing' she had to have some issues to begin with. I've read too many books in my life where the author gives us a 'troubled' teen complete with the stereotypical problems that are used to completely explain away and excuse bad behavior until some easy and magical fix comes along (like a new boyfriend...) . But Ockler never does that, not with any of the problems she sets up for her characters. She does give us reasons for the behaviors, but she never once treats them like an excuse. They are the catalyst, and perhaps the cause, but she always lets us know that her characters chose what their effect would be. I never felt like Ockler took the easy way out. I never once felt cheated as a reader.

I thought that Ockler was able to create a very believable family dynamic and each of the relationships in this book were truly great. I can't say enough times how believable I found this story to be. Her relationship with Patrick was perfect — a childhood friend who maybe, just might start to become a little bit more. Emily was a great addition as well, a friend for Delilah when she desperately needed one. Even her memories showed relationships, her loving grandfather, distant grandmother and her imagined connection to the father she never knew.

Both individually and in connection to others, Delilah was a very real character to me. I felt her pain and her happiness, despair and hope.

This was a strong read, one I highly recommend. It answers each question it brings up satisfactorily without over-exposing. This book reminds me once again why I really do prefer contemporary fiction. If Twenty Boy Summer is anywhere near as good as this was, Sarah Ockler will land on my instant to-read list forever.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Matched by Ally Condie was one of those books that I was super excited about. When I first heard about it, I was beyond excited. I love dystopian literature, and was definitely looking forward to spending some time in Cassia's world. I tend to ignore the hype that other people give to a story, so that rarely affects my overall feelings toward to book, but my own expectations certainly come into play.

The beginning of the story was brilliant. I just knew, by about page 10 that this was a book I was going to need to own. It was only the first chapter, but I already felt that edge of your seat excitement, wondering what was going to happen. The book begins with Cassia on her way to the matching banquet, and her nervous excitement definitely rubbed off on me. I was quite impressed by Condie's writing skills. It's not often I'm that hooked on a story that early.

I felt like I knew that my expectations had been on the mark, and this book was going to amaze me. Sadly, although I did enjoy it, the build up and anticipation ended up being both bigger and better than what was actually delivered.

Condie did a wonderfully horrible job of world building. I think that the idea behind the Society is extra scary, because so few people question it, and so few people recognize that there is something wrong with the way they live, at least of the characters that we met. The Society has completely removed choice. The ability to make my own choices is something I've thought a lot about. I don't believe in destiny or fate, and I don't believe that anyone has a right to make my choices for me, whether my choices are good or bad, they are mine, and mine alone. But, the people in Cassia's world have never known choice. The Society removed it by telling the people that their way was best — it removed disease, genetically weak children, old age, crime, etc. All the bad things are gone, leaving only the 'good' behind. But none of that good is something you were able to decide on.

I listened to Cassia tell us about the choices the Society made for her, and justify their actions, and I kept waiting and waiting for her to wake up, and realize how awful an existence that was. But it wasn't until she began to fall in love with Ky, and realize that she would never be able to be with him that she decided the Society was in the wrong.

Now, I understand that the love story between Cassia and Ky is important to the story, that this is where her awakening begins and yada yada yada. But I was a little disappointed, because I felt like that's all the story was. When I read a dystopian novel, I expect the conflict between character and world to be dominant, not the conflict between love interests. I never felt like Cassia really came to the understanding that the Society was inherently bad or flawed. All she knew was that the Society's control over her ability to make choices was keeping her apart from Ky, whom she loved and that Ky would never be able to make his own choices. If the Society had noticed this part of her, and made an exception for her and Ky, I kind of believe that she would have then been content to live the remainder of her life in peace, leaving the Society as it stands and forgetting her teenaged rebellion in favor of the peaceful settled life with Ky.

There was also a lot of information missing from the story. A lot was left undisclosed, most importantly — how the world became the way it is now. It would take some seriously heavy stuff to completely obliterate choices like that, and I would like to know what happened that convinced the people it was okay to give up all rights and choices, and how long it took to happen. I do know that this is a trilogy, so there are two more books for Condie to make her explanations, but I would still have liked a little more information.

I'm briefly mentioning the love triangle with Xander and Ky because I know that is the main basis for the book, but I don't really think there was that much conflict. This wasn't a case of being in love with my best friend, and then having someone else pop up. Although Cassia and Xander are matched, and even though she is excited about kissing the boy she knows she will marry, Cassia is never really in love with Xander. She loves Ky, and you always know the story is headed in that direction. But, I will say that I thought both boys were incredibly well written characters, and both of them care about Cassia very much. I am looking forward to their roles in the future.

Even though there were a few things I disliked, this really was an enjoyable book. I liked reading it, and would definitely consider myself a fan. I will be reading the next book and I can only hope that Cassia will open her eyes to more flaws than just the injustice being done to Ky.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith is a book I was not expecting. I started the book pretty much knowing only that it was about two characters, one of whom saw ghosts. There are a lot of place that an author can go with that as a guideline, so I wasn't totally sure what to expect.

It's told in perspectives alternating between Katie, the girl who sees ghosts, and Law, a teenager struggling to meet the expectations of his parents — a white mom from a well to do family, and the black father who is THE name in black reparations — what you owe to the black man.

I like multicultural fiction, and have lately been making it a priority to read it more often. But, I didn't pick up this book knowing that, not only were our narrators of different races, but that race was a huge factor into the story as a whole. When I started noticing how focused Law's dad was on what it is the white man owes to the black man, I was a little worried. I don't enjoy reading books that are political agendas lightly disguised as fiction, no matter what the agenda. However, I believe that Smith handled the topic beautifully. She met at the perfect median, where I understood Law, and to a lesser degree, his father, but I never once felt bludgeoned by one view point or another. The ideas of race and reparations are vital, not only to this particular story, but also to the growth and maturation of Law.

I found it interesting that both Katie and Law seemed to find themselves torn between two worlds. Katie's is obvious. She has contact with the dead that alienates people, make them think she's simply crazy. She lives in our world, but must also learn to deal with those from the other side who want her help. Law's struggle is different. He has a white mother and a black father and he feels torn between two races. He isn't black enough to claim what his father has, but isn't really white enough either. He's stuck somewhere in the middle, and he spends the larger part of the book trying to figure out just where and what that is.

Law was my favorite narrator. Although I really liked Katie, and thought her voice was strong and well defined, the passages narrated by Law resonated with me more, and I felt more of a connection to law than to Katie. I think part of this is because everyone knows what it's like to feel like you don't fit in, with family or friends, but not many (if any) people have legitimate contact with ghosts. Although, I must say, Smith's imagery is amazingly vivid. I found myself shivering and looking over my shoulder more than a few times while reading this book, and was awed by the scenes she crafted.

I've already admitted that this book isn't what I expected, but I definitely think it was better. There is a strong sense of history within this novel, and it places a strong importance on the value of the past, our families and discovering who we are, and who we might become. This is a book I am happy to recommend.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Pirate Treasure and The Lost City of Atlantis are the first two books in the middle grade adventure series, The Traveling Trunk Adventures written by Benjamin Flinders.

In the first book, Pirate Treasure, Ethan and Dallin's father brings them a gift; an old looking chest, said to have previously been owned by pirates. Although confused at first (because pirate chests don't really fit in with their awesome jungle themed bedroom, complete with vines) they open the chest and start to play around a little. When they jump in the chest and close the lid to hide from their little sister, they are amazed, and more than a little scared to open the lid and realize they are no longer in their bedroom, but in what looks like the cabin of a ship.

After their adventures in the first book aboard a real life 18th century pirate ship, the boys manage to unlock the mysteries of the chest and return home. A short time later, they return to the chest and find themselves in the City of Atlantis, listening to men preach in the streets that the city is doomed and will fall any day unless drastic changes are made.

While reading these two books, there were a few moments when I just had to roll my eyes at the unlikeliness of their situations. I found that the adults in these stories were just a little too dumb to be believable and people in both books were a little too willing to help these brothers out. They patiently explained unfamiliar words and phrases, and accepted whatever the boys told them as explanation.

However, these books are designed to be read and enjoyed by young middle grade readers, and I think they were written perfectly for that age group. They are quick reads with eye catching illustrations, and the language is on level with what kids that age would understand and enjoy.

I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about these books immediately after finishing, until I thought about how much I would have loved these books as a kid. I was fascinated by history, and loved the idea of kids being able to go back in time to live through, and maybe alter, history. In 5th grade, when I just knew I was going to be a writer someday, I wrote a little mini-series of (awful) time travel stories and this brought all those memories back.

I would definitely recommend this series to younger kids, whether they are interested in history, like the idea of traveling through time, or just like the idea of an adventure. They might not switch between adults and children as smoothly as other MG books I've come across, but they are perfect for children and would easily be enjoyed by many MG readers, boys and girls alike.

Each book also contains a little bit of historical fact at the end of the chapter. Pirate Treasure includes a pirate glossary. How cool is that?! With this book, on International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) you can totally sound legit!!

*Disclaimer: I received these books from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce is a beautifully written book. I mean, really — the writing is beautiful. Bunce has this gift with words. She has this was of picking exactly the right word or phrase to make the passage come alive. Several other words would have sufficed, but what she picks out is perfect. (I have some of the same feelings when I read Jennifer Donnelly.)

Anyway... Digger is our main character and one of my new favorite heroines. She's a believable character with believable motivations, and she's rather atypical of the current YA novels. She can take care of herself, but not in a I'm so Bad-A way, more like — If I don't, I die way. She's more concerned with her own survival than the greater good, although she does have people that she cares for, and if she lets you into that place, she cares for you deeply. She finds herself in an unexpected situation, and she begins to realize that her life is no longer just about herself. There are bigger things out there that have touched her life and she cannot simply run from them, she must stay an accept what is to come. I loved watching Digger learn and grown but even more, I loved watching her learn about herself.

Bunce's world building is brilliant. She introduces the concepts and elements of what makes her world different slowly, allowing us to acclimate to what makes this world unique while feeling the whole time as if we belong there. I loved her idea of the 7 moons with their corresponding Gods and how each God/Moon has come to represent different things to the people.

Part of world building is crafting great characters, and as I already mentioned, I loved Digger, but I loved many of the other characters too. Meri was such a bright spot of the story. She's a bit naive, but that's understandable because she's been sheltered her whole life. She is full of life and love and just learning about what it means to be on your own and able to take control of your life. She's a pretty major character in the story, but every character in this story was well developed, even the very minor characters we only get to meet every once in a while. This is a series, so it's possible these characters will return later with greater importance, but at this point, to give so much depth and life to characters with such a small role to play was wonderful. We weren't overburdened with details and facts that show a desperate author trying to convince us they write great characters, but rather an author sharing with us the lives of the people she's created. This is a book full of great characterization.

As I mentioned, this is going to be a series, and I for one and very excited about that. This book is self contained, and has a satisfying resolution, but what Digger has stumbled across is much bigger than any one book and it is obvious that there is much more that will happen to Digger and those around her before her story in complete. I can't wait to see what's waiting for us in Liar's Moon.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Love, Inc. by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout was such a fun read. I loved it! It was just exactly what I needed. A lot of cute and funny with just enough seriousness and depth tossed in that I didn't find myself bored or rolling my eyes.

Zahara was a great character. She is intelligent, motivated and loving, but she's got a lot to learn about life as well. I thought that the authors here gave us a great mixture of confidence and uncertainty. Zahara is in high school, which is always rough. But, add in that it's a brand new high school, which means she needs all new friends and her parents are going through a separation and it's easy to see why she's having a hard time, and why she's so happy to spend time with Rico, her new boyfriend.

I loved watching Zahara try to regain control of her world. She tends to utilize extreme thinking, swinging from one extremity to the other swiftly, which I thought was perfectly suited to her character. One of my favorite moments was when she decided she was going to take control of her parenting, demote her parents to a back seat role, and just not tell them.:)

When her parents force her into group therapy for kids whose families are going through a split, she's not expecting to gain anything from the 'experience'. But instead of spending a miserable hour with a bunch of weirdos once a week, Zahara discovers two of the best friends a girl could have — and who knew?! The three girls are, at first glance, completely opposite and ill suited for friendship. Zahara, Syd and Kali each have their own issues to work through, but when they realize that the same guy has been playing all three of them, they decide to work out at least one of their issues together, and all sorts of wonderful mayhem ensues. And can I just add that I love the idea of 'framily'? It just worked!

I'll admit that there were times when the plot was a little predictable. I saw several big events coming from a long way off, but I found myself completely okay with that. I never knew exactly how the events would develop and I was enjoying the characters so much I was completely okay with knowing a bit of what's coming up.

I think I've heard mention of a sequel to this in the works, and I have mixed feelings about it. I can see where the authors have room for a sequel, and I even think I know a few of the things that might happen. On the one hand, I definitely feel like this novel could easily stand alone, and a large part of me feels that it should be left to stand alone. I got a great sense of closure and ending from the story, and believe that things are going to work out well for these great people, but that actually needing to read about how they get there would ruin it for me.
The other part of me would love to read what else these girls get themselves into, and how they work out more of what's got them down. And really, it's not like they actually learned their lessons the first time around.:)
I'm sure I'll end up reading the sequel if what I've heard is true, and there really are plans for the second. I can only hope I like the sequel as much I enjoyed the first.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman is a creepy story. Not creepy where you're afraid of the things that go bump in the night, but the type of creepy that makes you look over your shoulder when you're walking alone, and the creepy that makes you look twice at everyone you pass, because you really have no idea what they're hiding.

Elizabeth was kidnapped when she was 15 years old and held captive for 39 days by Walter. All of his other victims were killed within hours of being taken, and no one knows why he lets her live, not even Elizabeth. 22 years later, Elizabeth — now Eliza — is happily married with two young children. While the events of that summer have changed her, she refuses to let them define her.

Then, she opens a letter one day from Walter, writing via a third party from death row and her world shifts again. The letter brings back all the painful memories Eliza has pushed away and threatens to disrupt the foundations of her life. Eliza decides to write a letter in return, and as a result, a shaky channel of communication opens up between the two, and each participant has their own motivation for doing so.

The idea behind this novel is brilliant. Having a death row inmate, right around the corner from his execution date seek out his only surviving victim is wonderfully scary. Even though the idea behind this novel is fabulous, the really shining point of this story are the characters. Each character is so well crafted, and so well voiced that I really feel like they could be real people. When Eliza would speak, especially in the beginning of the novel, I got the sense that although the words were clear, they were somehow stifled — On the surface, everything is fine but underneath, there are currents we can't even begin to guess at.

Barbara, Walter's anti-death penalty advocate was a character who elicited strong reactions from me. Every time her name appeared on the page, my skin would crawl. I did not like her, at all. I though she was sneaky, underhanded, pretentious, self-serving and a little bit malicious. Case in point — Barbara locates Eliza's address for Walter, mails that first letter. Next, she calls Eliza's home to speak to her and then she actually shows up at her house, without any kind of warning. She has to understand, even the tiniest bit, how hard it is for Eliza to have been contacted by Walter. But, she doesn't care. She has something that she wants, and she will approach Eliza until she gets it. Perhaps I'm being overly harsh toward her, and I do understand some of what she's doing. But, if I were Eliza, I would have called the prison and lodged a formal complaint about Walter contacting me, and then told Barbara if she came near me again I'd contact the police and take out a restraining order. But, that would make for a pretty dull book...

The other characters were also wonderfully written with their good traits, bad traits and those quirks that make them real. Any of these characters could be people that you know, which are the best kind of characters, especially when reading a thriller. There were also a few unanswered questions, and pieces left hanging. Nothing major was left unanswered, but just like in real life, not all the pieces always fit into the box, waiting to be neatly tied and wrapped with a bow.

Lippman's writing is wonderful. Spot on. I will definitely be picking up more books by Lippman in the near future. This book reminded me why I loved reading murder mysteries and thrillers all through high school, and makes me want to go back and read more.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Crazy Book Tours.

Youby Charles Beniot is... Wow... Ouch.

This book uses the 2nd person narrative, which is something that you don't see very often and it uses it incredibly well which is something seen even less. This narrative style brings you farther into the story, forcing you to connect to the characters differently. Although Kyle is the narrator, the use of the word 'you' makes you think more about yourself and how you would have reacted in Kyle's position. It's almost as if you stop reading the word 'you' and the story instead becomes about me.

In the authors note in the beginning, Benoit mentions that Kyle is neither bad nor good, he is typical. This makes a lot more sense once you've completed the story, because it's easy to understand how Kyle got to the position he's in when the book begins. There is something in this story that just about every can relate to at one point or another, and that makes it scarier, that much more intense, more real, and more personal. This makes the story all the more heartbreaking because of it's realism.

The characterizations were done very well. Many of them are not terribly likable, but each character has their own complexities and that thread of truth that makes this such an impactful novel. Especially Zack. When we are first introduced to Zack, I liked him. He was unique, and I figured he'd be a fun character to read about, initially, he almost makes a great 'good guy'. But then, we get to know him a little better and... shudder. I won't give anything away, because he's a character you really just need to meet for yourself, but ugh... Just be warned.

I also liked the emphasis (however 'underhanded' it may have been) on personal responsibility, and that Kyle acknowledged he really was responsible for his predicament and his placement. Throughout the story, several of the adults in Kyle's life talk about or make him think about his personal responsibility in his current position. I liked that Kyle accepted his responsibility (at least as much as teens are ever capable of fully accepting that responsibility...) and sometimes, it sounded like he really wanted to try a little harder.

The format was also quite interesting. We start at the end and are given a brief glimpse of a pivotal moment, one that sounds tragic (first line: "You're surprised at all the blood.") and then, it's as if the story rewinds, retracing the steps that brought Kyle and the mysterious 'him' to the moments in the beginning of the story with all the blood. It's a fast, intense race to the finish that leaves you a little bit gasping and empty once you've finally reached it. Grab yourself a copy of this book. It's important if you'll let it be.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum was not an easy book to read, but it was definitely powerful. It's about Ashley, who spent the years from 9-15 suffering sexual abuse from her stepfather and neglect from her mother. After a particularly horrific night, she moves to Patience, Texas to life with the father she's never known and his family.

One of the things I most appreciated about this book is that Ashley isn't magically fixed because she's now in a loving environment with people who care about her, and has an understanding therapist who is helping her move on. Ashley is still a bit of an emotional wreck. She has good days, better moments and really bad times. There are still times when she crawls into her wardrobe to sleep, she sleeps much better with her door locked at night, she has trouble talking about what happened, and anything related to family, and she doesn't like to be touched.

I get really annoyed by books where problems are solved too easily, and there is no real conflict. Anyone who went through what Ashley did is going to experience side effects, some of which will likely never go away. Ashley is not one of those characters. Her pain is very real, still fresh and it's always close to the surface. With the help of her dad and her step-mom, both of whom are incredibly loving and supportive, she is starting to heal. Her rather unconventional therapist, Dr. "Matt" is also helpful. His moments surprised me. I've never heard of any of the techniques he used in therapy (drop kicking teddy bears) but it seems like he understands what is needed to connect to Ashley, and he uses that to reach her. And it helps. He helps break the 'spinning' where her mind rushes and rushes, immobilizing and terrifying her, he helps her learn to acknowledge her emotions instead of carving them out onto her skin, and he helps her begin to accept her past so that she can embrace her future.

The only complaint I have with this novel, is that I feel too many big 'issues' were tackled at once, and many of the characters used to illustrate that issue were just a little too one-dimensional. We saw people dealing with homosexuality and homophobia, religious zealots, racial prejudice, many small minds, chauvinists, and etc. I understand the point of these characters. It's more on the theme that you are not alone, and not the only with suffering. But, I felt that most of these characters had little, if any depth and it was almost too much. There were a few characters that I didn't think helped the story along, but most of the characters (even some of the 'flat' ones) helped Ashley in some way or another. So, overall even that's still positive.

I'm interested to see where else Ashley's story will take us. I didn't realize this until after I had finished the book, but this is actually the second book in Fehlbaum's Patience Trilogy. The first, Courage in Patience is, I believe, out of print and the third (still tentatively titled Living in Patience) will not be released until next year at the earlies. When I started Hope, I didn't feel like I had entered into the middle of the story, and the author gives us enough background that we aren't lost. As I said, I didn't even realize this was the second in a trilogy until I was searching the book on Goodreads. Whether you start at the beginning first, or just pick up this one, it's definitely a book I think is worth reading. I plan to look for the first in the series soon, and I'll be anxiously awaiting Ashley's conclusion.

I also feel like I need to mention that I think Ms. Fehlbaum is incredibly brave to have put this type of emotion and personal experience on paper, and let strangers read it. Congratulations. This is an amazing story. The pain is very real, but so is the hope. This is a story to say that you are not alone, that there is always hope.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Traveling ARC Tours.