What Lies Around The Bend...

"Everyone in Phoebe Ferris’s life tells a different version of the truth.  Her mother, Meg, ex–rock star and professional question evader, shares only the end of the story—the post-fame calm that Phoebe’s always known. Her sister, Luna, indie-rock darling of Brooklyn, preaches a stormy truth of her own making, selectively ignoring the facts she doesn’t like. And her father, Kieran, the cofounder of Meg’s beloved band, hasn’t said anything at all since he stopped calling three years ago. But Phoebe, a budding poet in search of an identity to call her own, is tired of half-truths and vague explanations. When she visits Luna in New York, she’s determined to find out how she fits in to this family of storytellers, and to maybe even continue her own tale—the one with the musician boy she’s been secretly writing for months. Told in alternating chapters, Phoebe’s first adventure flows as the story of Meg and Kieran’s romance ebbs, leaving behind only a time-worn, precious pearl of truth ...

"On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan have only one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night leads them to family and friends, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?" Review: Okay so, I've read Jennifer E. Smith before and I loved it. Years later, I've come back to this author and she is still as good as I remember. This book is set over one whole night, a short period of time just like the previous book, and we get a tremendously framed story. We see these two characters facing a hard decision and also going through a big life chang...

"Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan... But for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; It's what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to. Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's lo...

"Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor. Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds — smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try." Review: This book was revered by my English teacher mother and shoved into my hands the moment she finished it, saying, "You just HAVE to read this!" Honestly, everyone I've talked to about this book has the same opinion: the ending was infuriating. If you had asked me my opinion on the book as soon as ...

"When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?" Review: I was quite furious with this book. It was very wishy-washy. The main character, Belly, acted extremely childish, from her pouting to defensive lashes, but wasn't the story supposed to be about her growing up? And this was definitely one of those stories you couldn't pick a favorite (for example, Team Jacob vs. Team...

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kids Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten." Review: This was a wonderfully written book. Even though it’s about two kids with cancer, their wit and playful banter and of course all their inside jokes had me laughing till my sides hurt. I loved every minute of it...  except for the very end, for reasons I'll let you experience for yourself. And to those who are reading the book or in the middle of it, or, for future reference, those who will read it, An Imperial Affliction is not a real book. I checked. Update: It's been a couple years since reading this book and the movie has been out for some time, so I think I need to update myself on this book. It was a good book and I laughed ...

"When Daniel is dragged to the Leisure World Holiday Complex for some "time away" with his depressed dad, his expectations are low. But then he spots a mysterious girl swimming in the fake lake, and everything changes. Lexi is funny and smart, but why does she have wounds that get worse each time they meet? Where are her parents? And is her watch really ticking backward?" Review: This book was pretty awesome, not going to lie. I can't exactly pinpoint what made it awesome, it just was. This kid, not the typical looker boys are in novels, who blames himself for breaking up his parent’s marriage. his father doesn't seem to care about his son so much and just drags him along on this trip. Lexi was a wild card that was thrown into the mix. Daniel and Lexi were a great pair and their story was phenomenal. My favorite part was the metaphor about a coup. Overall, this was really good and it's something someone who is going through the grief of a lost l...

"Caro Mitchell considers herself an only child - and she likes it that way. After all, her much older sister, Hannah, left home eight years ago, and Caro barely remembers her. So when Caro's parents drop the bombshell news that Hannah is returning to live with them, Caro feels as if an interloper is crashing her family. To her, Hannah's a total stranger, someone who haunts their home with her meek and withdrawn presence, and who refuses to talk about her life and why she went away. Caro can't understand why her parents cut her sister so much slack, and why they're not pushing for answers. Unable to understand Hannah, Caro resorts to telling lies about her mysterious reappearance. But when those lies alienate Caro's new boyfriend and put her on the outs with her friends and her parents, she seeks solace from an unexpected source. And when she unearths a clue about Hannah's past - one that could save Hannah from the dark secret that possesses her - Caro ...

"Ever since her parents' divorce, Auden has been unable to sleep. She's built a routine that gets her through each night; but when the opportunity comes for her to spend her summer at the beach with her father and his new family, she jumps at the chance to break out of her rut. Life at the beach proves more challenging than Auden expects. In addition to trying to figure out how she fits in to her father's new life, she also has to navigate the girls at work with their gossip and friendship and crushes. And then there's Eli, a fellow insomniac who becomes her nocturnal tour guide. With an endless supply of long summer nights between them, almost anything can happen...." Review: I was a Sarah Dessen - virgin. This was my first time reading her work and it was inexhaustibly fantastic. I couldn't put it down. literally I stayed up all night reading this novel, maybe just how Dessen wanted me to. that is why I'm writing this at such an ungodly hour. Wh...

"At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare sight: a total eclipse of the sun. Three lives are about to be changed forever: Ally: Ally likes the simple things in life - labyrinths, stargazing, and comet hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is. She refuses to imagine it any other way. Bree: Popular, gorgeous (everybody says so), and a future homecoming queen for sure, Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide? Jack: Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined." Review: I did not like this book at all. The summary gets you hyped up for this big adventure but, really, it's just a bunch of whiny girls, and guys following them around like puppies. The author just threw in astronomy to make it seem interesting. I was extremely disappointed. The...