Book Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Pages: 320

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: May 7, 2013

Source: Edelweiss

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious. To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…"

 Rosie has been a bit impulsive her whole life and everyone knows this about her, but she has never done anything like this before.  She finds out that her boyfriend, Joey, cheated on her and while burning all of the gifts he has given her, she accidentally sets his car on fire.  She tries repeatedily to apologize to Joey, but he views all of her attempts to contact him as stalking and now he has a temporary restraining order out of her.  This summer was supposed to be all about the beach, romance, and fun, but now she is facing one of the worst summers of her life.  Rosie's parents are worried that she won't keep her distance from Joey, so they send her off on a road trip with her ever-reliable next door neighbor, Matty.  He and his two friends are driving to Arizona, so that way his friend will have a car out there for his freshman year of college.  Rosie thinks that this trip is going to be a major drag, but by the end of it, she learns more about herself and can see things much more clearly.  Jennifer Salvato Doktorski's novel, How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a fun and light debut about a memorable cross-country road trip.

Rosie really irritated me at first in How My Summer Went Up in Flames.  She is just SO very impulsive and didn't really get how serious the situation with her ex-boyfriend was.  I find it odd that her parents would allow her to go on a road trip with three other guys based on her previous behavior, but, hey, it made for an entertaining story.  She spent most of the road trip really not having fun, but then started to gain perspective and branch out a bit, which is, essentially, what traveling is all about.  Although I had a hard time connecting with Rosie, I still had fun with her witty dialogue and feisty antics.

Matty is a good guy who is practically Rosie's brother in How My Summer Went Up in Flames. He has been planning this road trip with his friend Spencer and Spencer's brother, Logan, for sometime now. They are taking Logan's car out to Arizona and then flying back. I really liked Spencer, Logan and Matty and loved some of their nerdy interests, which Rosie pretty much shunned for the first half of the trip.  There is a bit of a love triangle in How My Summer Went Up in Flames and it was rather predictable.  I guess that is expected when you are the only girl (except Avery for a few days!) on a road trip with three other boys.

While on the road trip, they visit Avery, a wealthy girl from Dallas, whom Logan befriended during college orientation.  Surprisingly Avery and Rosie hit it off, which is one aspect of How My Summer Went Up in Flames that I liked.  Rosie also has a best girl friend at home and it was refreshing to see such good friendships amongst girls without all the usual drama.

I liked the road trip aspect in How My Summer Went Up in Flames and some of the fun places they visited are the Country Music Hall of Fame, Dollywood, Graceland, the Grand Canyon, etc.  I felt that Morgan Matson does road tripping a bit better in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour; however, How My Summer Went Up in Flames was still an entertaining read.

If your summer isn't complete without a road trip book and you want something light with a spunky main character on the side, check out Salvato-Doktorski's debut, How My Summer Went Up in Flames.  

Book Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Pages: 240

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: May 21, 2013

Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences? Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever."

Skye, a hopeless romantic, is attending the last beach party of the summer with the hopes that she will finally meet someone.  Just as she had hoped, she meets Seth and they have undeniable chemistry; they just get each other completely.  The only problem is that Skye is still in high school and Seth is heading off to college in Philadelphia, which means while Skye is worrying about high school drama, Seth has more serious concerns like how to pay for college. Both are optimistic that they can make it work and keep in touch, but things take a turn for the worse.  When they were supposed to meet to exchange information, something happens and they miss each other.  Seth spends his first year of college still wondering about Skye and Skye spends her time back at home thinking about the boy who got away.  As fate would have it, they both meet up next summer at the shore, but can they get past their differences enough to make their relationship work? Susane Colasanti's All I Need is a light beach read that will make teenage girls swoon.

Skye comes from a wealthy background. Her parents have a gorgeous house at the Jersey Shore; whereas, Seth's family has more of a bungalow, his parents are separated and they aren't sure how they will pay for his college tuition.  Both come from very different backgrounds, but they hit it off instantly; in other words, cue the insta-love.  However, I found their relationship to be a little too immature for me to really find it swoon-worthy.  I'm sure if I were in high school I would have loved their relationship, but older readers may want a bit more in All I Need.  It doesn't help that I found Seth to be a little weird and not in a good way. I dig his unconventional/artist vibe and his love of 80s music, but when he tries to convince Skye that The New Kids on the Block are a talented musicians, I rolled my eyes a bit.  

For me, the best part of All I Need is the setting. I love that Colasanti has it set at the Jersey Shore and even though it isn't my Jersey Shore, it was still fun to read about it.  Plus, Seth goes to school in Philadelphia, so part of the setting took place there, which I loved.  It's always fun to read about locations you are familiar with and I haven't read too many contemporaries that take place in Philadelphia.

The synopsis compares All I Need to Serendipity and it's very similar with the whole change meeting and will-I-ever-see-him-again story line.  While I love this kind of story line, I felt like it was unbelievable for such a young couple, especially one trying to have a long distance relationship while one person is in college. What can I say? I am a skeptic.  And it does make me cringe a bit when I see a young girl alter or adjust her college plans for a boy. I'm not a big fan of that message; I like to see more young girls live a little before they settle down. I never want to see a young girl go to a particular college just because their boyfriend's college is in that city.  

But nonetheless, All I Need is a sweet story and perfect for the beach this summer.  I'm sure many teenagers will find Skye and Seth's tale to be hopelessly romantic. I mean who doesn't dream of meeting the perfect guy at a beach party in the summertime?  

Giveaway Winners

And the winners of As I Close My Eyes by Sarah DiCello are.....

Chelsea and Katia

The winners of As I Wake by Sarah DiCello are.....

 Kim and Onge

Congrats! I hope you enjoy the books.  

 

To the winners of the 20 ebooks of both titles, I emailed you! Congrats and a big thank you to Taylor Street Publishing and Sarah DiCello for allowing me host such an incredible giveaway.

If you didn't win, be sure to check out my giveaway for The Heiresses by Allison Rushby and A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn.

Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Pages: 462

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: May 28, 2013

Source: NetGalley

Series: Pushing the Limits (Book #1)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...."

Beth, a secondary character from Pushing the Limits, is the focus of this story.  Readers get to learn more about Beth and why she acts the way she does.  In order to protect her mother from going to jail, Beth covers up for her with the police.  Beth has been covering up for her mother for years and their relationship isn't exactly healthy.  In walks Beth's uncle and former major league baseball player who pretty much rescues Beth from herself.  Even though Beth doesn't want to live with her uncle, he takes her to live in his home and tries to give her a fresh start despite her resistance.  She meets Ryan Stone, a promising pitcher, who is pretty much the opposite of her.  Beth is dark, a skater, rough around the edges and has an extremely tough personality; whereas, Ryan is popular, a jock, and tries to always do the right thing.  Ryan greatly admires Beth's uncle and as a favor, he takes Beth under his wing.  The thing is that Beth and Ryan have met before (it involved a dare on Ryan's part), but it didn't go well, so needless to say, their new found "friendship" should be interesting.   However, neither Beth nor Ryan can deny their attraction to each other though, even though it seems like they are completely different and would never work.  Katie McGarry's Dare You To is a steamy read that truly captures why opposites attract.

Beth isn't a character that I particularly loved in Pushing the Limits, because she drove me nuts with her bad attitude, but she really grew on me in Dare You To.  Since readers got the backstory on her home life, I could better empathize with her and understand where's she coming from.  Her relationship with her mom is a sad one and I was so glad her uncle came back into the picture.  I knew it would be a hard transition for Beth, but it's her best bet for starting over.  

Ryan isn't just a jock that is all about baseball. Initially, readers may think that is the case, but he is multi-faceted.  For starters, his family is harboring a secret about Ryan's brother, his dad is a complete control freak, and Ryan has other dreams, such as writing.  Instead of his dad helping Ryan to be well-rounded and cultivate his interest in writing, he pretty much tells him to focus only on baseball.  So, readers will be interested to learn more about Ryan as he isn't the only one with issues in Dare You To.  And I must say how swoon-worthy he is! Ryan is definitely a dreamy male love interest.

Readers will be happy to see characters return from Pushing the Limits, such as Noah, Echo and Isaiah.  Although they aren't the focus, it's fun to see them pop back up into the storyline.  I know many people will be disappointed that Isaiah isn't Beth's main love interest in Dare You To, but don't fret, because I hear he'll have his own book, Crash Into You, coming out later this year. 

If you love the opposites attract storyline and are a fan of Simone Elkeles, I think you will love Dare You To.  It would be a fantastic book to take along to the beach or pool this summer.

Book Review: The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig

Pages: 358

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: April 9, 2013

Source: Library

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "As a lawyer in a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she’s been working towards—but now she’s not sure it’s enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie’s ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything. . . . What follows is a potent story that spans generations and continents, bringing an Out of Africa feel to a Downton Abbey cast of unforgettable characters. From the inner circles of WWI-era British society to the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the red-dirt hills of Kenya, the never-told secrets of a woman and a family unfurl."

Clementine Evans, or Clemmie, works in Manhattan as a lawyer and hopes to make partner as she has devoted her life to the firm.  Even though her career has taken off, her personal life has done the opposite. Her engagement has been called off which sends her on a tailspin since, to her, being single at thirty four is tragic.  Her grandmother, Addie, is turning ninety-nine, so the family throws a party for her.  Clemmie shows up late as usual and comes to find her grandmother not doing as well as she had hoped.  While at the party, she learns that there's a family secret and one that could change the way she looks at her family forever.  Readers will also be transported back in time to Addie's post-World War I life.  Addie's parents have tragically died in an accident, so she has been shipped off to live with her wealthy uncle, the Earl of Ashford. The only redeeming aspect of this sitauation is Bea, her cousin, who has taken Addie under her wing. The Asford Affair by Lauren Willig is a captivating multi-generational story about family secrets, which slowly unfold. Readers will love putting together all the pieces of this family's deep secrets.

Readers can't help but feel bad for Addie who is low man on the totem pole while living with the Earl of Ashford.  Her aunt isn't very nice to her and treats her pretty much like a second class citizens. Thankfully Addie has Bea's friendship.  As they get older, things get more complicated as Bea ends up in a marriage that has some major issues. Bea decides to throw caution to the wind and act much like her husband by taking a lover.  This lover happens to be Addie's friend and love interest.  Drama ensues in The Asford Affair.

Clemmie's story is also interwoven into The Ashford Affair and she has some secrets of her own.  I enjoyed trying to figure out Clemmie and following along her quest for the truth regarding some major family secrets.  She has always looked to her grandparents as having the ideal marriage, but when she finds out the truth regarding her family's history, things get very complicated.

Willig does a fantastic job jumping back and forth through various time periods as well as settings in The Ashford Affair. Her descriptions of colonial Kenya were detailed and vivid and then she would transport us back to modern New York City and even London.  It was never confusing and done expertly.  

I loved being lost in this historical romance and if you are a fan of Willig's Pink Carnation series, I think you'll be pleased with this well done stand-alone novel.  

Book Review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

Pages: 370

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Paris, 1923 - The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savannah manor house until gossip subsides.  Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.   Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.   Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without."

The year is 1923 and Delilah Drummond is an unconventional socialite whose current husband has  died before their divorce went through; the media is convinced she has played a role in it; however, that is not the case.  Her family, especially her grandfather who gives her an "allowance", is embarrassed by her behavior and sends her off to Kenya, on her ex-stepfather's estate.  Once there, Delilah finds Fairlight, the estate, in a state of ruin.  She and her cousin/companion decide to transform Fairlight back to its original state and while there focusing on this project, it is Africa that transforms Delilah.  Delilah meets many new people, goes on many adventures, befriends Africans, and is in awe of the beauty of Kenya as well as its dangers. Deanna Raybourn's A Spear of Summer Grass is a vivid tale involving romance, friendship, moving on from life's tragedies, and survival, but ultimately, it's a story about how it is never too late to start over.

I was instantly a fan of Delilah in A Spear of Summer Grass. Sure, she's callous, brutally honest, promiscuous, and rude at times, but she's oh-so-fun. That's how I like my heroines, much like Scarlett O'Hara. I like heroines who can hold their own and speak their minds and that most definitely is Delilah.  I originally thought she was going to die in Kenya. Seriously! But she is so much more than a party girl who likes to wear fancy clothes and drink champagne. While in Kenya, she demonstrates her ability to be tough, expertly shoot a gun, defend herself, get her hands dirty and even help the sickly.  So on one hand, she likes the finer things in life and needs a lady's maid, but there's so much more to her than just that.  I especially liked learning more about her past and why she acts the way she does.  

Enter Ryder White, Delilah's love interest in A Spear of Summer Grass, and a man who seems the opposite of the type of guy she'd go for. He is extremely rough around the edges, has a reputation as being a ladies' man, and is a hunter/tracker. While I was reading, Ryder seemed like an Indiana Jones type of character to me, which I love. *Swoon!* He was rugged, handsome, can rock a suit if need be, and can give it right back to Delilah. As Delilah got to know him and their relationship evolved, he also brought more to the table than just a tough guy who knows Kenya and the animals very well.

Surprisingly, there's a lot of action in A Spear of Summer Grass.  Some of the action/violence, to both people and animals, did make me cringe time to time, but I was able to stick with the novel.  There's even a murder mystery aspect of the story that had me guessing for sometime.  

The setting of Kenya was awe inspiring. Raybourn did an outstanding job bringing the beauty of Africa to life and the incredible scenery as well as the dangers that lurk around every corner.  I honestly felt like I was visiting Kenya; that is how detailed and vivid Raybourn's descriptions are.

A Spear of Summer Grass is the perfect read for summer, because it has everything that a beach read should and more.  For fans of steamy romances, you won't be disappointed by this book and if you love historical reads, you will enjoy the time period and the setting.  If A Spear of Summer Grass sounds like a book that you'd want in your beach bag this summer, be sure to check out my giveaway for two paperback copies.

Book Review: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Pages: 337

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: June 12, 2012

Source: Library

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks on over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying. And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot-searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier. What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning fifty years and nearly as many lives. From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and his long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and his idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion-along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow.  Gloriously inventive, constantly surprising, Beautiful Ruins is a story of flawed yet fascinating people, navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams."

Dee Moray, a Hollywood actress, is filming Cleopatra and the year is 1962.  During filming, she becomes very sick and the studio sends her to a no-name Italian seaside town (nothing like glamourous Positano or Sorrento) and while there she befriends the the owner of the hotel she is staying out.  Pasquale is immediately entranced by Dee, but comes to find that she is dying.  However, the story doesn't just focus on just Pasquale and Dee. There's also a producer, his assistant, an aspiring Hollywood screenwriter, and an alcoholic war veteran who comes to Pasquale's hotel every year to write.  Somehow Jess Walter weaves the plots and subplots of Beautiful Ruins dazzlingly and all the characters' stories intertwine seamlessly.  

Part of Beautiful Ruins focuses on Pasquale and his infatuation with the American starlet, Dee.  Even though she seems beautiful and young, he comes to find that she is seriously sick, or so he thought.  Their friendship and his feelings for her blossom from their long talks while at his hotel aptly named Hotel Adequate View. I really liked the story of Dee and Pasquale; readers should know that there's more than meets the eye with Dee.  

Legendary producer, Michael Deane's is also a focus in Beautiful Ruins as well as his assistant, Claire. She is also a fascinating character and her story is told in present day, unlike Pasquale and Dee's.  Claire represents a lot of younger people who feel they are stuck in a dead-end job and a dead-end relationship.  Although she admires Michael Deane and his accomplishments, lately his work has taken him down a different path: reality television.  She wants something more for herself and has been interviewing around; however, things start to get complicated when a turn of events occurs. Interestingly enough, readers also get to learn more about Michael Deane, his career and how it is interwined with Dee and Pasquale's story.

There are a a lot of other secondary characters, such as Alvis Bender, a writer who visits Pasquale's hotel every year to write, but spends most of that time drinking heavily.  He is a veteran and his novel is about WWII, but after all these years, he only has a chapter completed. What is so mesmorizing about Beautiful Ruins is the fact that we get to read Bender's story along with other stories referenced throughout the novel, such as the aspiring screen-writer's tale about the Donner Party. There are many, many more secondary characters (even Richard Burton makes an appearance!) that at first seem to not fit in the overall story; however, trust Walter, because it all works in the end.

For me, the best parts of Beautiful Ruins deal with Michael Deane and his role in Cleopatra as well as his role in the relationship between Dee and Pasquale. He's such a fascinating character and one of my favorites.  I really enjoyed that particular portion of the plot.

I don't want to go into anymore detail regarding the plot of Beautiful Ruins, because I would end up hinting at too many surprises which are hidden within this tale.  Trust that this story, although it seems all over the place with the many characters and time periods, is beautiful, captivating, funny, and smart.  Beautiful Ruins is the kind of story that you need to stick with though and trust the author from the start.

Walter is a truly talented writer. There are many lines that I thought were so memorable. Here are a few of my favorites:

• "Sometimes what we want to do and what we must do are not the same. Pasquo, the smaller the space between your desire and what is right, the happier you will be.” 
• “His life was two lives now: the life he would have and the life he would forever wonder about.” 
• “A writer needs four things to achieve greatness, Pasquale: desire, disappointment, and the sea.”
  “That’s only three.” Alvis finished his wine. “You have to do disappointment twice.” 
• “I think so, too. I know I felt that way. For years. It was as if I was a character in a movie and the real action was about to start at any minute. But I think some people wait forever, and only at the end of their lives do they realize that their life has happened while they were waiting for it to start.” 
• "Stories are people. I'm a story, you're a story . . . your father is a story. Our stories go in every direction, but sometimes, if we're lucky, our stories join into one, and for a while, we're less alone.”

Beautiful Ruins was just published in paperback form last month and it would be great to bring along with you to the pool or beach this summer, especially if you are looking for a smart read. I think Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins could easily be a "modern classic." Highly recommended.