Me Before You-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“I will never, ever regret the things I've done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.”  

Do you believe in fate? That in one moment everything changes, and that the change is where you were meant to be all along? Well in the case of Lou Clark and Will Traynor, fate definitely plays its part.

Lou knows a lot of things in her life. She knows the amount of steps it takes to get from her home to the bus stop, and she knows that she loves her job at The Butter Bun tea store. Lou also knows that there is a possibility that she may not be in love with her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is that she is going to lose her beloved job, or that what is in store for her is going to be her saving grace.

Will Traynor knows that he has no real desire to live after a motorcycle accident took away the ability to use his legs. He knows that life has become rather dull and joyless, and he knows how he is going to put a stop to it.

What Will does not know, is that Lou is about to enter his dull world and give it a little color. And neither of them know that these changes are going to alter their lives for all time.

I adored this book!! I loved everything about this story. I enjoyed how Lou was not a perfect woman, but rather an out of control and not overly beautiful one. She wasn't perfect and that is what I found so enjoyable. I also loved the comedic moments through out the book, they made me fall in love with this story over and over again. I also enjoyed the romance of this story, it wasn't perfect and it didn't happen immediately. This was a rather beautiful book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

With Malice--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"Simone was dead, and I had no idea how it had happened."

Have you ever woken up and not remembered what you did the day before? It's slightly scary, but once you see an image you immediately remember. Well, that is not the case for Jill Charron.

Eighteen year old Jill Charron, wakes up only to find herself in a hospital bed. The worst part is, she can't remember how she got there. Jill can't even remember the past 6 weeks of her life.

Jill later discoveries that she was involved in a fatal car accident, which explains the cast on her leg and the stitches. The car accident occurred during the school trip to Italy. Jill was jetted home by her rich father, so that she could receive the proper care. Only problem this care involved a lawyer...and a press team?

Maybe this accident...wasn't an accident.

Jill tries to figure out not only what happened, but what she did. She works to figure out what happened in the six weeks that she can't seem to remember, before she loses what's left of her perfect life.

I thought this book was amazing! I adored the storyline. This was YA, but at the same point seemed to have adult aspects to it. I loved how we saw Jill struggle to recover her memory, and that it seemed real and not fictional. I also enjoyed how there were interruptions in chapters that showed us police reports and interviews with people. This book had a kind of detective feel to it that just made this book so much fun to read. It felt like I was interacting with the characters myself, and I enjoyed that a lot. I would recommend this book to all my friends and family.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to review this book as well as a the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for allowing me to read and review this book as well.

The Way I Used To Be -- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

 

" I don't know that these images flashing through my mind-a movie of someone else, somewhere else-will never really go away, will never ever stop playing, will never stop haunting me."

 

 

 

Sexual assaults happen all over the world. The perpetrator could be your father, uncle, mother, or even your older brother's best friend. Many victims don't speak out, or only gain the courage to speak out when another victim has. That is the case of Eden McCrorey.

 

Eden was always okay with being good. She was in band and loved reading books. Nothing could change that, not even high school. Or so she thought...

 

One night changes everything. One night makes Eden's whole world turn upside-down. What is this fateful night? It's the night that her brother's best friend rapes her. What was once so clear is now complex. What Eden once loved-the person she loved- she now hates with everything in her. Everything she believed to be true, turns out to be nothing but lies.

 

Eden has never felt so alone in her entire life. She knows that she has to tell someone, but she can't seem to bring herself to do that.

 

So she locks it all inside. And she buries the girl she used to be.

 

I thought this book was amazing! I loved how the author chose to tell Eden's story in four parts. We get to go through Eden's freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, and senior year with her -- which is a really brilliant idea. This book will definitely make your emotions run high. You will go from loving Eden, to hating her occasionally, to hating her best friend, and then to understanding her best friend in a sense. I also like how Amber Smith made this book seem realistic. I think that probably some people who have experienced what Eden did, probably have handled it the way she did at first. The only thing that left me on a little cliffhanger was that I wanted to see how Eden's parents handled the whole situation. This is because Kevin ,brother's best friend, was seen as part of the family. He basically became the second son. So I would like to know how the parents handled that betrayal of trust and loyalty. I also would have enjoyed a longer confession to Caelin, Eden's brother. Yes, we see him get pretty emotional, but we don't see that huge talk. So I would've appreciated a little more interaction between the two. All in all, this book was amazing and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends and family.

 

The Girl Who Fell--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

                                       “Darkness doesn't have fingers that twist into my flesh."

We all want the guy that we fall in love with to be perfect, or at least perfect for us. We hate when we don't see the warning signs that our friends see, or at least when we do see them it could be too late. Well that is unfortunately the case for Zephyr Doyle.

 Zephyr Doyle is focused on two things. First is leading her field hockey team to the state championship. Second, is getting into Boston College, her dream school.

But love decides it wants to intervene in the form of Alec. He's cute , he's charming, and most important he doesn't judge Zephyr. He understands all her weaknesses and even shares them. Soon their relationship becomes bigger than Zephyr, something she can't control, something she doesn't really want to control. 

Zephyr believes it has to be love. Love is powerful and....terrifying?

But love should not make you abandon your friends or your dreams. And it shouldn't make you feel guilty or ashamed. 

So when Zephyr final sees the person Alec really is she decides to take control back.

Only problem is it might be too late.

I absolutely loved this book!!! It made my emotions change so many times. The characters were well developed, and the plot line was superb. I loved how it seemed like this story could happen in real life. I love the whole story and was hooked by the first word. The plot of this story will grab you and leave you wanting more after each chapter. During each chapter of this book, you will be able see each character develop and grow. Zephyr will definitely develop throughout this story. S.M. Parker did an outstanding job of making the storyline feel realistic and even added points of advice that will help each reader through relationships that are similar to Zephyr and Alec's. I would highly recommend "The Girl who Fell" to each and everyone of my friends and family members. It is a must read.



Wandering Star-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

When tragic things happen to us, we wish to be left alone. To be allowed to live quietly where we finally achieve peace. This is all that Rho Grace desperately wants.

Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her guardian title, Rho Grace just simply wants to live a quiet life. She wants to live as a worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

This, however, does not happen.

News about the group Marad has spread. Marad is a group of unstable Risers that plan to overturn the harmony in the Galaxy. Marad could strike any of the Houses at any given moment.

Then, an unwelcomed nightmare appears to Rho in the shape of Ochus. He bears a cryptic message the leave Rho with no choice but to stand up and fight.

Rho must now embark on a journey filled with high-stakes. She must travel through an all-new set of different Houses, where she discovers that there is much more to not only the Galaxy, but herself than she could ever imagine.

Just when Rho has come to terms with the tragic loss of Mathias, the stars deliver their most shocking surprise yet.

I really thought this book was out of this world! I enjoyed how the characters developed from the last book. I also enjoyed the same but new plot line. The author really made me feel every characters feelings/emotions. I also thought the shocking point (read this to find out the secret) was expected, but at the same point thrilling. Though a little slow in the beginning, this book had me begging for more. I would definitely recommend this story to my friends. A great read that I believe everyone would definitely enjoy!

First Book in series

Zodiac by: Romina Russell

Review for this book is on this blog

Date book was reviewed: February 22, 2016

Firsts--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"People aren’t a chemistry experiment you can tinker with until the proportions are just right.

People are terrifying that way.”

Your first time is something that is not only a big step, but also utterly terrifying. Some people desperately wish that there was some way to get ready or even practice, without their girlfriend or boyfriend finding out. I mean they just want to give that one special person the perfect special time.

Enter Mercedes Ayres.

Seventeen year old Mercedes Ayres gives boyfriends that chance to get the awkward first time over with, and open the door to giving their girlfriends perfect first time. Only catch is the guy has to be a virgin and he can't ever speak of his adventure with Mercedes to anyone. Of course the boys are fine with the secrecy, except for Zach who seems to want more from Mercedes than she is willing to give.

Everything seems to be going quite well that is until Charlie, Mercedes's best friend Angela's boyfriend, wants a turn. Suddenly, Mercedes little "tutoring" becomes public. All Mercedes secretes come to light and she isn't ready for it.

Join Mercedes as she tries to find out who she really is, battles the hatred from her fellow girl classmates, and even love.

I gave this book five stars because I absolutely loved it! This book captured topics that seem to be felt through out high schoolers all over the world. There's self-esteem issues, sexuality issues, bullying, love, and becoming comfortable with our bodies. This book made me really think about things in my life that I have done, and the real thoughts behind them. It gives you an inside view of what people really feel about themselves and how they think their actions affect other people's lives.

Ms. Crawford, I think we should purchase this book because not only does it show you the affects of sexual activity on a teen, but also the affects on the partner of the sexually active teen. This book does not just cover sex, but it also covers the thought process of a teen and how they feel the need to be loved in order to love themselves. It shows us that sex is not supposed to be used for feeling pleasure or a false sense of happiness, but rather for the purpose of expressing your love for the one person you believe will be your first and only love. This book also lets us see the bad affects that sex has on a person, and what multiple sexually partners can really do to a person. I think this book will have a great affect on my fellow peers and believe that this book should be incorporated into our library. This needs to be experienced by our young adults in order to help them find their way through high school and the pressure of sex at our age. 

The X-Factor--Reviewed by: Sarah Roberts

 

 

 

 

  Maja is your normal, everyday 17-year old. She dreams of becoming a an actress, and her role model is Marilyn Monroe. So when things take an interesting turn at a celebration party for her boyfriend, Maja doesn't quite know how to handle it. One minute she is an average teen, and then the next minute she is at a test modeling photo shoot because some guy thinks she could have 'The X-Factor'. 

                                   
                     But things don't go the way they should have.
 
            Maja becomes exhausted from the countless photo shoots, diets, and a always being in the public eye. So what does Maja do? Well she turns to some "friends" that get her into a lot of trouble. When it all explodes in her face, Maja is left with a drug addiction, no self-esteem,and no true friends. She now is left with one question: How far will she got to reach her dream and land among the stars?


         I really thought this book was well written and enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed how this book touched on subject matter that others would have been afraid to write. That is why I gave this book a 4 and 1/2 star rating. The characters were well developed and I felt almost everything that Maja felt. The lack of self-esteem that Maja had felt like it would have been experienced by teens today. He book really gives you an inside view of what the modeling industry really is, the it isn't all the glamour and beauty it's made up to be. So all in all, this book was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family.

Vixen--Reviewed by Stephanie Best

Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Reviewed by Stephanie Best

                                Three girls, three lives, one amazing era. Vixen is the story of three girl’s struggles through the crazy Jazz Age. Gloria, a beautiful young women and the envy of those around her, wants nothing but to be immersed in the flapper lifestyle. The only problem is that she is engaged to Sebastian, the closest thing Chicago has to aristocracy. Her cousin, Clara, has lived the lifestyle Gloria wants, and now has to pay the price. She is forced by her parents from her life in New York City, to plan Gloria’s wedding. If not, she would be sent to a girls’ reform school. Lorraine, Gloria’s best friend, has always been in the shadows behind perfect Gloria. She is in love with Marcus, Gloria’s like-a-brother friend, who hardly knows Lorraine exists. Will Gloria have her family’s happily ever after, or her version? Will Clara’s past come back to bite her even more than it already has? Will Lorraine find the spotlight she so badly longs for? Will each girl get what she wants, or will everything go horrible wrong?

                Vixen is the first novel in the Flappers series. The others in the series are Ingenue, and Diva. I rate Vixen four out of five stars. I love, love, love, reading about the time period. I think the 1920s were very interesting and I personally love books set in past eras. I like the characters, but the plot was just ok. I thought it was slow at times. It also reminded me too much of both of Anna Godbersen’s series the Luxe series and the Bright Young Things series, especially the latter because it too took place in Roaring Twenties. However, if you do like either of those series, or enjoy period piece novels, then I highly recommend this book.