L-L-L-Little Reviews: Two YA Contemporary ARC Reviews

So I was just going to do the one book on its own, but then I remembered I had another ARC to do, and I've done the other two Christina June books as part of double mini-reviews, so decided to kill two reviews with one post!


No Place Like Here by Christina June:

Genre:  YA contemporary
Release Date:  May 21st, 2019
Publisher:  Blink YA
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

 I'd enjoyed the other two books by this author, so was happy when this next one came out.   And once again I was not disappointed!  Ashlyn was someone that while we definitely felt for her in the beginning, with what she was going through with her family, she also did a lot of growing and changing through her summer.  The other people she met at the summer camp were a great cast of characters.  Her cousin, while abrupt at first, grew to be a great friend, and we learned that abruptness was just her.  And then there was the boy, Marcus.  Yeah, he saved her at the beginning of camp, but there was just something about how he behaved around the new camp manager's daughter that made me unsure of him from the start. But then Baxter, the mountain-man/teen, whatever.  Maybe it's just because of all the books I've been reading lately with bearded mountain guys, but something about him made me crush a bit from the start.  So it was easy to tell that Ashlyn would probably lean more towards him in the end. But this wasn't just a romance, there was so much family drama, but done so well, as this author always has in the past books I've read.  Another winner from Christina June.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Life leads you to unexpected places. Love brings you home.

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down.

The cherry on top? Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes—inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere—can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

From Christina June, author of It Started with Goodbye and Everywhere You Want to Be, comes No Place Like Here, a modern twist on Hansel and Gretel.


Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen:

Genre:  YA contemporary
Release Date:  May 14th, 2019
Publisher:  Amulet Books
Source:  ARC won from author during Spring YA Scavenger Hunt which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

So this is the first book by this author that I've read.  I know now that I'll have to keep trying more of her books in the future, and maybe go back and try some of her past stories. First off I totally connected with this main characters awkwardness.  I get it so much!  There was a lot that happened in this, and so much to keep me turning the pages quickly.  I also totally clicked with her obsession with horror movies, and I really want to know if the one that Elm-Jake recommended, The Haunting of Sophia Blaine, is a real movie.  I can't find it anywhere unfortunately.  Of course while I think she had a perfect way to get out of sending the wrong picture, much earlier than she did, I know that was part of the drama of the whole story.  A great summer read, and I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see. This sweet and funny summertime romance is perfect for fans of Love and Gelato and The Unexpected Everything. 

Lisa's Looking Forward To #15 - May 21st, 2019

Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.

From my ARC list for May 21st:

The cover isn't that great, but the synopsis drew me in.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Maris Brown has been told two things about her destiny:

1. She will fall happily and madly in love.
2. She could be dead before she turns eighteen.

The summer before that fateful birthday, Maris is in the wealthy beach town of Cross Cove with her estranged father and his new family--and the infamous Duvals. Since the youngest member of the Duval family, Edison, is back from college and back in the arms of Maris's new stepsister, her summer looks to be a long string of lazy days on the Duval's lush beach.

But Edison is hiding something. And the more Maris learns about him, the more she's given signs that she should stay as far away from him as possible. As wrong as it is, Maris is drawn to him. Around Edison, she feels truly alive and she's not willing to give that up. Even if it means a collision course with destiny.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

This sounds like a perfect book for today's readers.  One to add to your TBR if you enjoy LGBTQ stories.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Two teen girls, once best friends but now estranged, share an electric connection that is rekindled—and tested—in their common struggle with identity, sexuality, and the undeniable necessity to confront their emerging selves head-on.

It’s senior year and Lucy Butler has fallen into a comfortable rhythm; she’s captain of the track team, a sarcastic introvert, and the second favorite child at home. She has her life completely planned out: she knows her friends, her future college major, and her crush, the unattainable Ms. Hayes.

But when Lu reconnects with her childhood best friend, Eve, in the girls’ bathroom and comforts her after a pregnancy scare, all attachments to Ms. Hayes fall off. Lu and Eve have a chemistry that’s fierce and undeniable, and pretty soon they’re closer than they have been in years. But is this what former best friends reconnecting feels like, or is it more?

In the chaotic aftermath of graduation, Lu and Eve will have to let everything they knew about love and life go... or risk missing out on their last chance to be carefree teens.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Love the cover on this one, and it is another to add to the growing list of LGBTQ titles for today's teen readers.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A TV writer's room intern must join forces with her crush to keep her boss from ruining a lesbian character in this diverse contemporary YA romance from the author of Queens of Geek.

Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee.

Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer―who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet...maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back.

Jen Wilde's newest novel is both a fun, diverse love story and a very relevant, modern take on the portrayal of LGBT characters in media.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.  

This one sounds like a great mystery, maybe even some supernatural in it, or not.  I like that you'll have to read it to see.

 Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From the author of Edgar Award finalist Grit and The Lies They Tell comes a tense, atmospheric novel for fans of E. Lockhart and Marieke Nijkamp, about friendship, truth, and the creeping fears that can't be outrun.

Whenever another kid goes missing in October, the kids in the old factory town of Pender know what is really behind it: a monster out in the marshes that they call the Mumbler.

That's what Clara's new crew tells her when she moves to town. Bree and Sage, who take her under their wing. Spirited Trace, who has taken the lead on this year's Halloween prank war. And magnetic Kincaid, whose devil-may-care attitude and air of mystery are impossible for Clara to resist.

Clara doesn't actually believe in the Mumbler--not like Kinkaid does. But as Halloween gets closer and tensions build in the town, it's hard to shake the feeling that there really is something dark and dangerous in Pender. Lurking in the shadows. Waiting to bring the stories to life.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

This book actually made me sad to post about.  You see, last year, I got TWO advanced copies of the first book in this series.  This year, I got no copy of this one. Here's the thing  With all the review books I get, I don't always move on in series right away when they next one comes out, if I don't get a review copy. I know that is terrible.  I mean, I will buy it for my school library, and I often do end up buying a copy for myself to read at some point, but it won't be one that I grab and devour like I would if I had an advanced copy of it. So sad face on this one.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Furyborn, two queens, separated by a thousand years, connected by secrets and lies, must continue their fight amid deadly plots and unthinkable betrayals that will test their strength—and their hearts.

Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.

Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever. 

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Love the cover, love the synopsis as well.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

For seventeen-year-old Opal Hopper, code is magic. She builds entire worlds from scratch: Mars craters, shimmering lakes, any virtual experience her heart desires.

But she can't code her dad back into her life. When he disappeared after her tenth birthday, leaving only a cryptic note, Opal tried desperately to find him. And when he never turned up, she enrolled at a boarding school for technical prodigies and tried to forget.

Until now. Because WAVE, the world's biggest virtual reality platform, has announced a contest where the winner gets to meet its billionaire founder. The same billionaire who worked closely with Opal's dad. The one she always believed might know where he went. The one who maybe even murdered him.

What begins as a small data hack to win the contest spirals out of control when Opal goes viral, digging her deeper into a hole of lies, hacks, and manipulation. How far will Opal go for the answers--or is it the attention--she's wanted for years?

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

I do have an ARC of this one that I'm currently reading. Thanks to BlinkYA Publishing for sending it to me!  I liked the other two books by this author, and so far am enjoying this one as well.  Look for my review on it next week.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Life leads you to unexpected places. Love brings you home.

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down.

The cherry on top? Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes—inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere—can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

From Christina June, author of It Started with Goodbye and Everywhere You Want to Be, comes No Place Like Here, a modern twist on Hansel and Gretel. 

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Sounds like a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac that I would enjoy!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

She’s the beauty, I’m the bold one–together, we are the perfect girl…

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D’Agostino, a proverbial “ten,” who happens to be fluent in six languages–seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . .
What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany’s friendship survive the fallout?
From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.   

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 


Final Thoughts:
 So, only one that I actually have a copy of, and you'll be seeing that review next week.  One book that makes me really sad because I didn't get a copy of it.  Have you read any of these yet?  Are they on your TBR?  And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE.  The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight.

Two YA Contemporary ARC Mini-Reviews

I'm behind on getting these reviews up!  I couldn't find the emails from the publishers that sent them to me, even though I know or could swear one was a specific request for me to read and review.  Oh well, I did get them done and want to share!  Even though both were published on May 1st, I'm getting them back out in the public eye with these reviews today!

Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June:

Publisher:  Blink YA Books/Harper Collins
Source:  Physical ARC from publisher which did not influence my opinion in any way
My rating:  4 stars

This is my 2nd book by this author, and once again I enjoyed it.  You can read my review of the first book here:  It Started With Goodbye.  While both books are standalones, they both include the same characters. We met Tilly, our main character in the first book. But this time she gets her own story, as she goes off to NYC to hopefully make her dream of being a professional dancer come true, in what is her last hope she feels after the accident that caused her ankle injury.  This was a pretty quick read, like the first one.  I loved all of the NYC bits, as well as the grandma/abuela.  It made me want to go back to NYC if I ever get the chance.  The dance aspects of the story were fun to read, I used to want to be a dancer myself.  And the romance was sweet as well.  There was a bully in the story, Sabrina, and I really, really like the way the author went with that at the end of the book.  Throughout the story it worked perfectly as well, but the way the author took it at the end, while not typical for YA stories, was definitely more realistic in my opinion.  I don't know for sure that I get the feeling of the fairy tale it was supposed to take after, but that's okay, I still really enjoyed it.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
From author Christina June comes Everywhere You Want to Be, a modern tale inspired by the classic Red Riding Hood.

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes--not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly's mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she'll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends ... and new enemies. Tilly isn't the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can't help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly's future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother's path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

Ship It by Britta Lundin:

Publisher:  FreeForm Books
Source:  Physical ARC from publisher which did not influence my opinion in any way
My rating:  4.5 stars

I totally adored this book, although there is a .5 of a star I kept back, that is my own personal issue, one I will probably not address as it would probably make people angry.  I loved the characters, how real they were especially.  I loved all the nerdiness from the comic conventions.  I loved the people who LOVED the shows and were huge fans.  There was so much that made me laugh.  Parts that made me tear up a bit, as well as parts that made me frustrated.  I can't wait to order this book and put it in my school library next year.  There was one line that I hope makes it to the final copy, as it is such a true sentence:

"It's so much more exhausting being around people when you're sad, especially when they're not as sad as you."

If you've ever been sad, but had to still be around other people who weren't sad, then you totally understand this.  The shipping in the book totally reminds me of some of the crazy ships that exist in the world of one of my favorite tv shows, Supernatural.  As a heterosexual woman, I don't necessarily see the things that some people see, like the whole Smokeheart ship in this book reminds me of what people do with Castiel and Dean or Crowley and Dean.  Something that while I get the bromance thing, my straightness doesn't always quite pick up on the other, or at least it didn't used to.  My eyes might be a little more open to that these days.  

If you are a shipper, or enjoy a good lgbtq romance - with a teen girl who just still doesn't know for sure if she is gay or not, and plenty of other good examples of lgbtq characters, as well as the reality of people who are not accepting of this and will fight it in public, you have found the right book.  If you like reading about the craziness of fans at comic book conventions or online with fanfic or Tumblr, etc., this is also probably the book for you.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Claire is a sixteen-year-old fangirl obsessed with the show Demon Heart. Forest is an actor on Demon Heart who dreams of bigger roles. When the two meet at a local Comic-Con panel, it's a dream come true for Claire. Until the Q&A, that is, when Forest laughs off Claire's assertion that his character is gay. Claire is devastated. After all, every last word of her super-popular fanfic revolves around the romance between Forest's character and his male frenemy. She can't believe her hero turned out to be a closed-minded jerk. Forest is mostly confused that anyone would think his character is gay. Because he's not. Definitely not.

Unfortunately for Demon Heart, when the video of the disastrous Q&A goes viral, the producers have a PR nightmare on their hands. In order to help bolster their image within the LGBTQ+ community-as well as with their fans-they hire Claire to join the cast for the rest of their publicity tour. What ensues is a series of colourful Comic-Con clashes between the fans and the show that lead Forest to question his assumptions about sexuality and help Claire come out of her shell. But how far will Claire go to make her ship canon? To what lengths will Forest go to stop her and protect his career? And will Claire ever get the guts to make a move on Tess, the very cute, extremely cool fanartist she keeps running into? 

Two YA ARC Mini-Reviews: It Started With Goodbye by Christina June and Antisocial by Jillian Blake

As I've mentioned many, many, many times, I am behind on reviews. But one of my goals this summer is to get caught up on that.  Fingers crossed.  So today, I'm sharing two mini-reviews of some ARCs that I was sent by publishers.  I want to keep my contacts with those publishers on good terms, so I'm making sure now, with the reading planner I'm now using along with my blog planner, to get stuff read. These two books unfortunately didn't make it on to the calendar in time, so these reviews are a week or two later than I would have liked.  Anyway, enjoy my short reviews, along with the summaries from Goodreads.

Title:  Antisocial
Author:  Jillian Blake
Genre:  YA contemporary
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Release Date:  May 16th, 2017
My rating:  5 stars


Now, I'm so mad at myself that I did not get my post up by the 12th like I had promised the publisher.  If I had picked it up  even on the 10th, I can tell you I would have been done in time to post a review, because this was a really quick read.  But it wasn't just a quick read, it was a really good, extremely hard to put down read.  The characters were all so good, ones that you wanted to know what would happen to, that you definitely empathized with, and in many ways, I related to them.  There were some really fun Game of Thrones references.  I like how as you learned more and thought maybe you knew exactly who might be behind all of the leaks and stuff, it was spelled out how they actually couldn't be the ones behind it.  The way it all ended up made so much sense, and really was pretty realistic in my point of view.  I mentioned in my short review on Goodreads after I finished that it reminded me of YA books I read as a teen.  What I kind of meant by that is that while the voice of the main character is definitely somewhat realistic, there is still a hint of an adult-like quality to the voice.  I'm not sure exactly how to explain it better.  Sorry. But I loved it, read it in almost one sitting.  It's a good look at just how much we often share with virtual strangers.  Something I know that I am definitely guilty of.  This is a book that I highly recommend, partly for that reason as well, and I will definitely be adding it to the school library where I work!


Here is the blurb from Goodreads:


Alexandria Prep is hacked in this whodunit set in the age of social media and the cloud.

Senior spring at Alexandria Prep was supposed to be for sleeping through class and partying with friends. But for Anna Soler, it’s going to be a lonely road. She’s just been dumped by her gorgeous basketball star boyfriend—with no explanation. Anna’s closest friends, the real ones she abandoned while dating him, are ignoring her. The endearing boy she’s always had a complicated friendship with is almost too sympathetic.

But suddenly Anna isn’t the only one whose life has been upended. Someone is determined to knock the kings and queens of the school off their thrones: one by one, their phones get hacked and their personal messages and photos are leaked. At first it’s funny—people love watching the dirty private lives of those they envy become all too public. 

Then the hacks escalate. Dark secrets are exposed, and lives are shattered. Chaos erupts at school. As Anna tries to save those she cares about most and to protect her own secrets, she begins to understand the reality of our always-connected lives: 

Sometimes we share too much.  

Title:  It Started With Goodbye   
Author:  Christina June  
Genre:  YA  Contemporary
Publisher:  Blink YA Books
Release Date:  May 9th, 2017
My rating:  4 stars

This is another book that was sooooo quick to read!  I read over half of it in one sitting as well.  It's billed as a contemporary take on Cinderella, and that definitely comes through.  However, in this story, the "wicked" stepmother has more depth, and actually is someone maybe not so wicked.  The father is not dead, just away for the summer.  What I loved about this story is how much the characters seemed realistic and very up to date.  The main character is an artist, but a graphic designer, wanting to do web sites and make her way through that artistic field.  I like that while the "wicked" stepmother in this story is maybe not the usual villain, the bad guy, who got Tatum and her best friend in trouble in the first place, is really a bad guy.  And I like how all of it works out.  As I mention all the time, I don't always read a lot of YA contemporary, it is very rarely a genre that I choose on my own, I am not disappointed at all that I read this one.   Definitely a book I'll want to purchase for my school library where I work.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.