Happy Book Birthday to THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall!!!!

You guys! It is officially the long-awaited book birthday of THE CONSPIRACY OF US by my gorgeous, fabulous CP, Maggie Hall!

Who can blame Zach for fainting?! Just look at that cover!

To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.

They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle of Twelve, and Avery is their missing heir. If they discover who she is, some of them will want to use her as a pawn. Some will want her dead.

To thwart their plans, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the landmarks of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And unless she can stay one step ahead of beautiful, volatile Stellan, who knows she’s more than she seems, and can decide whether to trust mysterious, magnetic Jack, she may be doomed after all. 

So, why is this so exciting? Well, aside from the obvious awesome you'll find inside that gorgeous cover, I "met" Maggie when TCoU was in its infancy - and called something entirely different. We were both in the query trenches together, and saw each other through a bunch of rejection, and every time Maggie told me about a new one, I was all:

I mean, the book had SO MUCH TO OFFER. Mystery, suspense, action. Hot guys with hot bods. (Hiiii, Jack)

You and me both, buddy.

And oh heyyyy, Stellan, you're not so bad yourself.

There's even a scene that goes kind of like this:

I See Your Schwartz Is as Big as Mine
Spaceballs — MOVIECLIPS.com

Okay, so not really, but it's still one of my absolute favorite lines in the book. And it's all set against exotic backdrops like Istanbul and Paris.

So now that Maggie's book is a real, honest-to-God book, one that you can GO OUT AND PURCHASE IMMEDIATELY, you can imagine how thrilled I am.

So, after you've bought your copy of CONSPIRACY (I've handily provided the link above), go find Maggie on Twitter (@MaggieEHall), hand her a big glass of champagne, and give her a giant hug in celebration of her book birthday.

CONGRATULATIONS, MAGGIE!!!!

Amazing Book News!!

You guys! Fantastic news! One of the best unpublished things I've ever read is going to be one of the best PUBLISHED things YOU'VE ever read!

That's right! My amazing friend and CP, Dahlia Adler, just sold her book BEHIND THE SCENES to Spencer Hill Contemporary!

HAPPY DANCE!!



To give you an idea of how excited you should be, and how you'll feel after you read this book, let me (and some kickass gifs) tell you the story of how I came to love it so much:

Once upon a time in the year 2012, I went to Mexico. I wasn't online much while I was there, because duh, it looked like this:

But when I was, I noticed of few of my friends and CP's chatting on Twitter with someone called @missdahlelama. She seemed like a cool chick, so I followed her. And she followed me back.

Eventually, we started emailing, and I realized I'd had no idea that she wrote Contemporary YA. I hadn't even read anything she'd written, and vice versa. So one of us, and I'm not sure which one, suggested trading ms's even though we were both already on sub. And even though I had some other things on my plate, I was all:

So then I started to read. And you guys. It gave me SO MANY FEELS.

At any given moment I was doing this

Or this



Or this

Or a combination of both

I went through so many emotions, I told Dahl I felt like a mental patient...

....But in a GOOD way. If that's possible. Because when I was done reading, I was like

And why, you ask? Because it was just that good. The characters were witty and real, the plot was both heartfelt and fun. And speaking of characters?

LIAM.

He's the male mc, he is SO HOT, and he is also my boyfriend. (Dahl admits he's  madly in love with me right here, so don't even bother hoping.) Oh, and he's an actor, so you know what that means? He has abs, guys. ABS.

The romance that developed between Liam and me - er, Ally, was sweet and sexy, and there were some freaking awesome kissing scenes

Yeah. Kinda like that.

 

You might find yourself saying

 

So then I basically told Dahl I wanted to read everything she ever writes, and even though we'd just "met," this was how I felt about her:

And then we lived happily ever after in our CP-ship...

.... and met for real :)

So the moral of the story is, I am SO EXCITED for Dahlia, and for this story to be published. I hope you're all adding it to your TBR piles, or your Goodreads shelves, because you will be SO happy you did. And I happen to know that Dahl has lots of great stories in the works, so be sure to head over to her blog and congratulate her, and follow along so you don't miss any of the awesome.

CONGRATS DAHLIA!!!!!



What Are You Reading This Summer?

Today I'm going to talk about what I've been reading this summer! And then, I'd love it if you guys would share *your* summer reading recommendations.

While most offices have "summer hours" (and schools are off altogether - nope, no jealousy here) to accommodate the general laziness of the season,  it's still strange, and kind of a bummer to me, that my company's busiest season is the summer.

Newport is calling me. Sadly, I can not answer :(

Not to mention I'm working diligently on my 3rd novel, and failing miserably at trying not to think about the one that's on submission right now. So unfortunately, my reading list is not nearly as long as I'd like, but I still managed to squeeze in some gems:

BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz

I'd never read one of Hannah's novels before, and did so on Leigh Ann's recommendation. I did not regret it.     

This one was unique, compelling, and the voice was funny, sad, sweet, and realistic all at once. Holy talent.

GIRL PARTS by John M. Cusick

Dudes. I'm still having a hard time comprehending that the person who wrote this book (it's like Weird Science meets edgy contemporary all being towed along by a dark undercurrent) saw something special in my fluffy little YA romance. It's mind boggling. 

THE LAST ECHO by Kimberly Derting

Y'all know I love this series from reviews I've done. There's lots of suspense, Jay, witty dialogue, Jay, vivid characters... and did I mention Jay? Because the one thing this novel needed was MORE JAY!

I've also done some reading for my CP's. 

Jenny shared her urban fantasy, THE RIVER REMEMBERS with me, and guys, she can paint pictures with words as well as any painter can do with a brush. Also, her male mc has a body carved from martial arts and  a ginormous wingspan. Take that as you will :)

I also read my Sub Buddy Dahlia's ms, BEHIND THE SCENES, (you can read the interview about how she got her agent here) and basically fell in love from page one. It's hilarious and touching and by chapter 2 I'd publicly declared myself Dahlia's first stalker fangirl. And you know what? She still gave me her address and let me send her presents, because for reasons unbeknownst to me, she thinks I'm awesome too.

Right now I'm reading Marieke's YA fantasy, PALADIN and if you've ever watched her vlogs you know first hand that her voice is like mental massage - so soothing and pretty. And her book? Is the written equivalent. (BTW Marieke also wrote the pitch that first got my agent to notice me in a contest, and I will NEVER EVER EVER stop thanking her for that. Thank you Marieke. I love you!)

What have you read this summer, peeps? Any recommendations for something you particularly enjoyed?

Amazing Book Alert: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I am in love with this book.  Like, madly, swooning, thinking-up-songs-for-the-soundtrack in love.

Let me get the synopsis out of the the way and then I'll tell you why.

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.


Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Six pages in, there was a passage that made me laugh out loud, stop reading, and immediately run up to my computer room and stalk Cynthia Hand's blog and Twitter.  Six pages was all it took to make me a fangirl.  So what was the passage?
 
And then I almost crash into a cheerleader.
"Watch it, dorkina!" she says.
I stagger to one side to let her pass.  Breathing hard, I lean against the folded-up bleachers and try to get the vision back. But it's like trying to return to a dream after you're fully awake.  It's gone.
Crap.  No one's ever called me a dorkina before.  Derivative of dork.  Not good.
 
Not to mention that on the very next page, she's eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream.  So not only is Clara funny, she has excellent taste in ice cream.
 
And men.
 
Christian, the boy from her visions, is tall, dark, and handsome.  And then there's Tucker.  Siiiiiigh, Tucker. Blonde, dimpled, blue-eyed, outdoorsy Tucker, who made me fall head over heels in love with him.
 
If two hotties aren't enough, the setting for this novel is absolutely gorgeous.  It takes place amidst the mountains (and lakes and rivers and sandbars and ski resorts) of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I've never been there, but after reading this novel, I want to go.  The descriptions of the scenery are breathtaking.  If I could pull off "glory" like Clara and her mother, I'd be all glowy too, from the beauty of it all.
 
Or, the kissing might do it.  I won't say who Clara kisses because I don't want to give anything away, but if I'd read this book before I did my Hottest Kiss post, this one would have made the list for sure.  It was the point where "Everything" by Lifehouse blared through my head, in case you were wondering about the soundtrack.  YOU'RE ALL I WANT, YOU'RE ALL I NEED, YOU'RE EVERYTHAAANG... Ahem.  Sorry. And if I'm willing to share Clark and Lana's song with another couple, you know they're worth it.
 
If you're looking for a fun, well-told, intriguing story, go get this book.  And don't be fooled by the prologue - while it's beautiful, I read it and was afraid the book might be too "fancy" for my taste, poetic to the point of distraction.  But it's not.  It's funny, romantic, engrossing, and all-around beautiful.  I am salivating for the sequel!

Amazing Book Alert: Divergent by Veronica Roth

I am not normally a huge fan of dystopian novels, but this one had me at the dedication.  Yes, seriously.

As you know from my last post, this was my vacation read, and I soaked it up as eagerly as I did the sun.  In fact, I originally intended to use it as a giveaway, but that was before I couldn't keep my greasy, sunblock-and-pool-water-coated hands off it.  Now I'd feel guilty sending it away with warped pages and a sheen of Coppertone.

Anyhow, here is the summary from Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

The very first time we meet Beatrice she's sitting in front of the mirror, something her faction (Abnegation) only allows once every third month, when she's having her hair cut by her mother.  It's such a simple image, but it stuck in my mind after I read the dedication: To my mother, who gave me the moment when Beatrice realizes how strong her mother is and wonders how she missed it for so long.

Considering my own mother narrowly avoided being admitted to the hospital right before I left, and how close I am to her, those words struck a nerve.  And by the end of the book when I was still thinking about them... well, let's just say it wasn't pool water running down my face.

Yes, there is a lot of violence in this book, but it wouldn't be dystopian if it were about rainbows and butterflies.  The violence is a necessary part of Beatrice's self-discovery as she moves further into the initiation of the Dauntless faction. 

Her choice is one I would never have made for myself - jumping off moving trains?  Entering simulations that force you to face your worst fears? - no thank you.  But the way she handles herself made me root for her when she's victorious and feel for her when she's fallable.  I may not identify with Beatrice, but I definitely respect her. 

And of course, I have to give props for the romantic aspect of the story.  It builds up slowly, almost torturously, and it's totally delicious when it finally happens.  More, please!

As far as plot and pacing, this is pretty much a masterpiece.  It's almost 500 pages, yet never felt too long.  Even with a lot of characters to keep track of, I didn't find myself confused.  And that's saying a lot, because too many characters is a huge pet peeve of mine.  My only real beef is that sometimes Beatrice seems a little TOO invincible, i.e., still jumping on and off moving trains after serious injuries.  I know being Dauntless is about pushing your limits, but I'm not sure the body of a short, skinny 16-year old could really have handled all that.  At least not without some major internal bleeding.

Still, I love novels that get you thinking, and this one definitely does.  I found myself wondering which qualities really are the best for leadership?  Is it more important to be honest or fearless?  Can power ever really be shared equally, or will one side always harbor a hidden agenda?

I may not have the answers, but I can't wait to get Veronica Roth's take on it in book 2, Insurgent.  In the mean time, I'd love to get your take on it.  What did you love about Divergent?

Back in the Saddle Again

I'm back!  Hope you missed me, because I missed you.  Let me tell you, there's nothing like a week at a beautiful resort to beat all your problems into submission.  WHIPPP-SSHH!

Sure it's an illusion, but it gave me the frame of mind to at least figure out how to approach the various courses of crap on my plate.  Getting up the guts to polish and query my ms is one of them.  As far as that goes, this trip was absolutely inspirational, but more on that in a minute.

First, I'd like to thank those of you who recommended Divergent (review to follow, most definitely qualifies for Amazing Book Alert) as one of my beach reads.  Divergent and I had a helluva time together in Mexico.   Here we are, chillin' by the pool:



I am soaked, smeared with sunscreen, and not wearing makeup.
But doesn't Divergent look fabulous?





Between the hot Mexican sun and that burning fireball on the cover, Divergent needed a little chill time.  No problema, when there's a nice, shady swing on the balcony of your hotel room:

 *Snickers* Yeah, I'm crazy, I know.  But did you also know that YA isn't just the bomb of all book genres?  It also happens to be...

A seriously potent mosquito repellent!  And it's a darn good thing, because it spared me from being eaten alive when I took the video I'm about to post.

The very first scene in my novel describes moonlight shimmering off the ocean, and seeing it in person, I couldn't take my eyes off it.  It made me fall in love with the beach, and my story, all over again (which I needed, because the doubt demon has been flying over my head like a rabid bat lately). 

A picture wouldn't have done it justice, so I took this to share with all of you:

Um, try to ignore the part where I nearly drop the camera

Seriously, how can you not find inspiration in THAT?

Or, for that matter, this...

Or this, especially when you've described your male mc's eyes as "blue as a cloudless sky"...

Imagine that sky with pupils and long, dark eyelashes.  Yeah, I'm swooning too.  Which made me think of the kiss my characters share on the beach, which made me con my husband into this reinactment of it:

Um, except Michael isn't shirtless in my novel (though THERE'S a thought), and my husband will KILL ME if he finds out I posted this.  So don't tell him, 'kay?

In the mean time, I'll be using my rested relaxedness to stop being such a chicken, saddle up, and write like the wind! 

Have you ever had a moment (or a week) that made you fall in love with something you'd written all over again?  Whether the answer is yes or no- have an inspired Monday, all!

** And BTW, my Monday just got even better!  I placed 2nd in Gabriela Lessa's Love All Year Long Contest!  WOOOHOOO! **

Amazing Book Alert: Desires of the Dead (Body Finder #2) by Kimberly Derting

Holy crap, I could not put this book down.

Kimberly Derting has one hell of a way of creating suspense, all the while interweaving sweetness and romance and even some laugh-out-loud funny moments into the mix.  My favorite line came from Violet's friend Chelsea, in reference to Violet's boyfriend, Jay: "I swear, every time I see him, I'm halfway afraid he's gonna start crying like a girl or ask to borrow a tampon or something." 

It was the perfect read.

Yes, there were still some (though FAR fewer) annoying passive verbs, and gratuitous use of italics.  No, we still don't have a clue what Jay really looks like.  But I forgave all of the above long before the book arrived in the mail - and I know this because when it did, I stopped in the middle of reading another book so I could pick up where The Body Finder left off.  Always a good sign.

Here is the synopsis: 

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.



As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

This time, I was as drawn into the mystery portion of the story as I was the romance.  Though, not gonna lie, the romance was still my favorite part.  I love the way Jay touches Violet's fingers to his lips while they're talking.  I love the way she can barely remember what day it is when he kisses her.  And - *Spoiler alert* - I loved their first "time" scene.  It was so sweet and realistic, with just the right amount of physical and emotional intensity. 

Although I did find it kind of strange that they went right from making out to sex, and seemed to skip the bases in between.  Then again, it's not a romance novel.  Maybe the other stuff was supposed to be implied.

Either way, these two are one of my favorite literary couples, and I'm totally rooting for them.

Like The Body Finder, the mystery portion of the story isn't terribly inventive when all is said and done, but I definitely started to second guess myself when I thought I had it all figured out.  And I HAD TO KNOW, not only because the suspense was killing me, but because I've really grown quite fond of these characters, third person POV and all.

You've got me, Kimberly Derting.  I am officially a fan.  And for those of you who missed Kim's oh-so-encouraging post on her road to publication, please click here.

So yes, peeps, I wholeheartedly recommend this series!

Amazing Book Alert: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though I did have a few beefs.  First, the fact that it's in third person.  It's just a preference of mine to read first person POV, because third leaves me feeling disconnected from the main characters - like you never truly get inside their heads.  But again, that's a matter of preference.

Second, maybe it's because I'm in the critique stages of my own WiP, but I found myself terribly distracted by the number of passive verbs used in this novel.  Each time I came across a sentence like "Violet was turning...", I found myself mentally crossing it out and replacing it with past tense.  Revision-induced neurosis, I suppose. 

Third, and I'm sure this one is purely idiosyncratic, but having seen Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory more times than I can count, the main character's name kept making me think of the line, "Violet, you're turning violet, Violet!"  I know, now I'm just nit-picking.

Nit-picky details aside, the story pulled me right in.  Here's the synopsis:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.



Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Moreso than the murder mystery, my favorite part of the story was Violet and Jay's budding romance.  Which leads me to another small complaint - there is absolutely no description of Jay's physical traits.  No mention of hair color, eye color, etc.  We know he's good-looking because girls fall all over themselves when he's around, but is he Alex Pettyfer good-looking, or Rick Malambri good-looking?  Couldn't tell you.  Even with Violet, for the longest time we only know that she has dark, curly hair.

I suppose the physical descriptions aren't really important, though.  There's a ton of heat between these two, and that's really all you need to know.  When they finally acknowledge that something more lingering beneath the surface of their friendship, I almost cheered.  It's sweet and romantic and realistic.  And their second kiss practically sets the pages on fire.  You go, Kimberly Derting!

The mystery portion of the story is neither predictable nor inventive.  It IS suspenseful, but if the story had been solely about Violet and Jay falling in love, I wouldn't have missed the rest, since I'm a such romance junkie.  The scene where they face down the killer is totally riveting though- especially when Violet senses a brand new echo and you're thinking, Oh my God, if that echo belongs to who I think it belongs to I am so going to die...

At least, that's what I was thinking.  Between the tension and the butterflies, I put this one down feeling satisfied, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Desires of the Dead.  Though quite honestly, I hope there's equal time dedicated to the desires of Jay and Violet, too!

Amazing Book Alert: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

So I just finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and I'm feeling very contemplative.  And - not gonna lie- kind of depressed.

If you're like me and you live for those happy endings, this is not the book for you.  I kept hoping Clay's mention of Hannah not having a funeral meant that we'd find she hadn't really gone through with her suicide in the end.  Except she did.  Here is the book synopsis:

Clay Jensen, somewhat shy, California high school student, returns home from school one day to find a box sitting on his doorstep. Upon opening it, he discovers that it is a shoebox containing seven cassette tapes recorded by the late Hannah Baker, his classmate and emotional crush who recently committed suicide. The tapes were initially mailed to one classmate with instructions to pass them from one student to another, in the style of a chain letter. On the tapes, Hannah explains to thirteen people how they played a role in her death, by giving thirteen reasons to explain why she took her life. Curiosity and fear of exposure keep the people on the list listening to the tapes, and Hannah has given a second set of tapes to another character who will leak the tapes if they are not passed on. Through the audio narrative Hannah reveals her pain, and her slide into depression that ultimately leads to her suicide.

To me, the main point of this book is to illustrate that everything, even something that may seem insignificant, leaves a lasting mark on person's life.  Most of the thirteen people who receive Hannah's tapes, Clay included, have no idea why they're on them.  Granted, some of them probably could have figured it out more easily than others, but the vast majority are clueless that their actions had left someone so scarred. 

As Hannah puts it, No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people.  Oftentimes, we have no clue.  Yet we push it just the same.
I couldn't necessarily identify with all of Hannah's "reasons" - having an undeserved bad reputation, being groped and taken advantage of by an obnoxious senior, and feeling responsible for a car accident that claimed the life of a classmate, to name a few - but I could identify with her torment.

High school is brutal.  I still remember the names of the boys in my Biology class who used to draw hideous sketches of me labeled with cruel nicknames, when I had done absolutely nothing to them.  I remember innocently talking to a group of friends in the hall while someone I didn't even know walked by and shouted "Losers" at us.

Those guys probably thought they were hilarious.  They probably got a rise out of belittling people who didn't defend themselves.  But I have to wonder - was it worth it?  What did they really get out of it?  How much fun can it possibly be to make someone question their self worth, or did they not even realize that was what they were doing?

In Hannah's words, when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part.  Unfortunately, you can't be precise and selective.  When you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life.  And it must be true, because even after all these years, I have zero desire to ever attend one of my high school reunions.  I'm more than happy to leave that part of my life behind, though not in the manner Hannah chose.

It was difficult for me to accept Hannah's choice.  I got that she felt betrayed and violated, that her safe havens were breeched, and the people she trusted let her down.  But by the time someone came along who had no intention of letting her down - Clay - she was so wary of the next thing to "pop out of the woodwork and get her" that she went looking for them.  She completely sabotaged herself.  As Clay put it, she killed herself and blamed everyone else. 

Things didn't have to end the way they did for Hannah, and I hope anyone who's reading this book because they're in a dark place in life realizes it.  I hope anyone who's called someone a loser for sheer entertainment realizes the effect it could have.  If so- bravo, Jay Asher.

My only complaint about this book, aside from the lack of happy ending, is that it gets a little confusing when Clay's thoughts interrupt Hannah's dialogue.  Her speech is in italics, his is not, but it's easy to not notice the difference when you're engrossed.  A few times I had to go back and re-read passages that tripped me up.  On the whole, though, it's a really beautiful read.  If you can handle the heavier subject matter, definitely add this one to your list.

Amazing Book Alert: Flash Burnout By L.K. Madigan

I was kind of taken aback by how sad I was at the end of this book.  I didn't expect it, especially not with such a likable, funny narrator such as Blake.

It's his personal goal to make people laugh each day, and he's devised a point system for the number of times he succeeds.  He succeeded with me several times (I'm totally making crap on toast! a regular part of my vocabulary), especially when he's floundering to understand his girlfriend Shannon's mood swings and temper triggers.  When she winds up in tears after Blake confesses he's worried about his friend Marissa, this is how Blake describes the turn of events:

These were my exact words: "I'm worried about Marissa.  She was getting hammered at the game.  Again!  I hope she's not turning into an alky."

A slow but steady undertow of misunderstanding proceeded to drag my ass out to sea.

Shannon analyzed each word out of my mouth, then deconstructed the meaning behind my words, searching for hidden code in those innocent little sentences.  By the time we go to Juke's she was sniffling.  All our friends fled to safety, leaving us alone on our raft of tragedy.

Hee hee hee.  As a girl, who isn't guilty of the sentence deconstruction game?  I had to laugh because I felt for poor Blake.  He may not be prone to lying, but let's face it: if that were true for the majority of the male species, the deconstruction game wouldn't exist.  Us gals are always assuming the worst.

Although in this case, if I'd been assuming the worst, I might not have felt so unprepared for the way the story unfolded.  It was the opposite of what I'm used to.  Normally I go for the stories that start out conflicted, and wrap everything in a nice, neat bow at the end.  Here, not so much.

In fact, for a long time, it doesn't seem like much is happening.  Blake's life is fairly normal, despite the fact that his father cuts up dead bodies for a living, and has a bad habit of leaving photos or tools from his work lying around on the kitchen table.  I loved that his parents are quirky and happily married, that he has a love/hate relationship with his brother, like so many siblings.  I loved how smitten Blake was with Shannon, and actually said awww when I read this passage:

Shannon is everything I want.  I thought she would be like the starter kit girlfriend for me, you know?  After I figured out where things go and how they work, I would take my skills with me when I moved on to the next level.

But right now I can't imagine ever meeting anyone more perfect for me than this girl.

See?  Awww!  But somehow, in between the humor and the warm fuzzies, everything unraveled right under my nose.  Blake's friend Marissa is living a troubled life, and Blake's attempts to help her wind up turning his own life upside down.  I won't give anything away, but the scene where Shannon finds his camera absolutely broke my heart.

Photograpy is used as a metaphor throughout the book, and the word chiaroscuro crops up more than once.  It's Italian, literally meaning "lightdark" (YES!  Italian vocabulary now up to 5 words!), and in photography it means using both elements in one composition.  Blake finally magages to find the "heart" in his normally "gritty" photography by using the light and dark moments of Marissa's life in a photo montage.  L.K. Madigan did exactly the same thing in this book: slowly eclipses light with dark until you're thinking crap on toast!  What just happened here? 

BUT, there's definitely a ray of hope in the end.  We know Blake bounces back, sense of humor intact.  It's not said in great detail, but we know he'll move on.  It's obvious in his comment on the song "The Animals were Gone": This is the perfect sad song.  Big wall-of-sound sorrow, with strings and shit. 

LOL.  Deep, Blake.  Very deep.

I would definitely recommend this book, and in the wake of L.K. Madigan's recent passing, I am saddened that she won't be around to put out more great stories like this one.  Unfortunately, life really is a mix of light and dark.  The fact that she managed to capture her characters and her story so beautifully and have them immortalized in publication is an enormous bright spot.  But the death of someone who could create a character like this one is an undoubted darkness.  

I can't end on somber note, though.  Speaking of immortalization and tragedy, let's talk about this tragedy: the immortalization of the unibrow of the dude on the cover, the one who's supposed to be Blake.  That poor boy will be forever wondering why no one introduced him to tweezers before his big photo shoot. A definite score on Blake's laugh-o-meter, but a definite deduction of points from me! 

Amazing Book Alert: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I'm just going to put it out there.  I was blown away by this book.   Here is the synopsis:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?


Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Amazing already, I know.  Not to mention Lauren Oliver managed to create one of the most realistic teenage voices I've read, while still incorporating beautiful writing and some of the most creative uses of metaphor and analogy I've come across.

I'll admit that at first, I found Sam somewhat unlikable.  She's pretty and popular and well aware of it, and she and her friends use it as a license to walk all over people.  They're the kind of girls I avoided like the plague in high school.

She confesses early on that she doesn't even like the way her boyfriend kisses, yet she plans to lose her virginity to him later that night just to get it over with.  She's too cool for her childhood friend Kent, who adores her.  She's dismissive of her little sister and ruthless to an outcast named Juliet Sykes, whom her friends have nicknamed Psycho.  Each year on Cupid Day, when everyone measures their popularity by the number of roses received from their classmates, they torment Juliet by sending her a rose with the note Maybe next year, but probably not.  It's exactly the kind of rotten thing high school girls will do, just because they can.  And it's heartbreaking.

But that's only day one.  Eighty pages in, Sam dies for the first time.  She realizes fairly quickly that she died and that the wrinkle in time means she needs to change something - she just can't figure out what.  From there on, each time she relives the day of her death, she learns something new - about her friends, herself, the things she thought were important and the things that really were. 

Each day brings a new plot twist and a new emotional rollercoaster.  Her interactions become more tender, more meaningful.  And (*somewhat spoilerish*) when she discovers just how amazing Kent is, I fell in love with him myself.  Extra points to Lauren Oliver for not one, but two incredibly beautiful kissing scenes.  Anyhow, the points that are truly driven home are 1) the fact that our actions cause chain reactions, with lasting effects we may not even be aware of and 2) it's never too late to be remembered well, and not just remembered - if you so decide.

The reader will get the point before Sam does, but when she gets there, she is a far cry from the unlikable girl in pages 1-80.  You'll want her to live and yet you'll be dying to know what happens next.  It's completely worth it to share her journey.  Seriously, go read this book.

Amazing Book Alert

I just read - no, devoured - Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

This book was A-FREAKING-MAZING.  Suspenseful, beautifully written, totally engrossing right up to the very end.  The kind of book that makes me think, This is why I'm not published... because I didn't write THIS! 

Here is the synopsis from the back cover:

Jane wakes up tangled in a Rosebush, paralyzed and without a clue how she got there.

Her friends convince her she was the victim of a hit and run accident - but Jane begins to suspect someone is out to kill her.  Now, she must use the clues left behind by each person who visits her in the hospital - friend, stranger, enemy - to piece together what really happened, before it's too late.

The truth will change her life forever.  That is, if it doesn't kill her.

Great premise, right?  It only gets better from there.  A warning though: those who are offended by the (unfortunately accurate) portrayal of teenagers having sex, smoking pot, and experimenting with same-sex kissing, this book is not for you.  While it's not the focus of the plot, it's definitely there, so I'm just sayin'.

I did have a couple WTF moments.  Without giving too much away, I'll just say the first one was the Scott Situation, call it contrived, and leave it at that.  I thought it was trying too hard.  Ok, now I'll really leave it alone.

Second... Why did Jane stop at destroying the flower vase when she knew about Ollie's freakish pasttime?  Come on Jane, even I would have gone Rambo on the rest of those gifts.

Third... I'm still not quite sure I understand the "killer's" motive.  I was left guessing up until the last second, but once I knew I found myself thinking, "Really?  Am I buying this?"  I'm still not quite sure.  I know we're never supposed to suspect the real perp, but I felt like I still had questions at the end.  Which, of course, the author could have done intentionally but I'm nosy like that - I like closure.

All in all though, this book deserves to be read.  Michele Jaffe does such an amazing job painting a picture of the loneliness teenagers can feel - even pretty, popular girls.  As she puts it, "There's a finite amount of space at the top of the social pyramid and once you've reached it, there's only one direction to go and no shortage of people who want to push you there."  Jane wanted the perfect life, but learns the hard way that perfection is all smoke and mirrors, and comes at a high price.

You'll be dying to know who put the price tag on her head.  Go forth and enjoy!