Sam ignored the lie he saw on her face. “I can’t trade without knowing what’s at stake.”

“I thought the important thing was to keep things moving.” Sara waved her hands in small circles in front of her as though stirring the air into action.

Sam shook his head. “If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never get it. What’s more, if you don’t know what you want, you’ll never know when you do get it.” He reached into his bag and withdrew a packet. He offered it to her on the palm of his hand. “So, Sara without an h, tell me–what do you want?”

Sara is only in New York City for one day, a day she was supposed to spend sightseeing with her father after his meeting wrapped up. But her father’s meeting runs long and Sara is left to her own devices. On impulse she follows a boy she sees leaving a bookstore wearing a Zebra Stripes hoodie, a band she loves that most other people haven’t heard of. It’s a decision that could lead to something great or something horrible, but the last thing she expects is for it to change her life.

Sam knows a girl is following him, but he can’t decide if he should ditch her or let her catch up. He waits for her and meets Sara (without an h) for the first time. Even without knowing anything about her, the ever-observant Sam sees in Sara a kindred spirit, he just doesn’t know why yet.

They spend the day together and whether by accident or design they end up on a seemingly impossible quest across the city looking for something that may not even exist. Sam teaches Sara the art of trading, promising you can get anything you want by starting with a sugar packet. Sara shows Sam that sometimes letting go isn’t the same as letting go. They seem to click together perfectly, but they’re both holding onto demons they’re afraid of revealing. Sam and Sara know going in that there’s an end in sight–Sara’s flight leaves at noon the next day–and it’s a looming deadline that makes their time together all the more special and their secrets all the heavier. Will the strange ties that bind them be strong enough to hold when their pasts come to light and their plans fall apart or will good-bye come far too quickly after hello?

I loved this book. I adored the feel of the city you get from it and I loved the characters. Sara wears her smile like a shield to keep people from seeing the pain she still feels from her mother’s abandonment eight years ago and Sam is still coping (and running) from a tragedy that shattered the way he looks at the world. Sam has a unique way of seeing things and being able to see from his point of view (the book is told from alternating viewpoints) gave the story another level of depth the really drew me in. It took a few chapters to get used to the switch between first person (Sara’s chapters) and third person limited-omniscient (Sam’s sections), but otherwise the writing style had a flavor I enjoyed. The descriptions, comparisons, characters, and dialogue all seemed fresh and real and kept me reading until I’d devoured the book in one sitting. The only thing that bothered me: I wanted it to keep going! The book offers a resolution, but enough of the story continues after the last page that it’s meant for either the reader to fill in the blanks or to set the characters in motion for a sequel. Personally, I’m hoping for a sequel.

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

“Isn’t this great, munchkin?” Dad said, stepping up beside Sylvia and putting his arm around her. “You kids will have a wonderful time together. Won’t this be a fun summer?”

Fun? Fun was not the word I would have chosen. Unbearable, awkward, torturous… Anything but fun.

This was a nightmare.

I was supposed to be at the condo, wasting time on the beach, just Dad and me, figuring out college and my life and spending time together. Instead, I was in a new house with new people – including a future stepbrother who’d seen me naked.

“Well.” I sighed, facing my father again. “It will definitely be interesting. That’s for sure.”

 Whitley Johnson’s parents divorced when she was 12 and for the past six years Whitley has been living with her mother, forced to listen to the near-constant diatribe against her father. Whitley doesn’t understand why her mom can’t see she’s bashing the same traits Whitely inherited from her dad and hates the fact that her mom never sees how miserable she is. Her friends have all abandoned or betrayed her, her brother is too busy with his wife and their new daughter to call Whitley, and she only gets to see her father in the summer months. The only way Whitley can find to feel happy, even for a moment, is to go out and party. Hard. She gets a reputation for being easy–a highly exaggerated reputation–and drowns her sorrows in tequila as often as possible. She’s looking forward to spending the summer at her father’s condo and wasting the days tanning, drinking margarita’s, and barbequing, but that dream is blown apart when her father takes her instead to small-town suburbia where he has a surprise for her: he’s getting married.

That’s not even the worst part. The new fiance comes with two kids Nathan and Bailey, and Nathan just happens to be Whitley’s most recent one night stand. Suddenly her dream summer is starting to look like a nightmare that Whitley doesn’t know how to escape. Her usual outlets aren’t readily available and as the daughter of Greg Johnson, one of the area’s most popular newscasters, Whitley’s mistakes are suddenly worthy of noting… and posting on the internet. Despite her best efforts, Whitley is befriended by Harrison, a local boy, and no matter how hard she tries she can’t seem to hate her new stepsister Bailey. As she digs herself deeper and deeper into her own hell, will her new family and friend be able to pull her out before she destroys the first good that’s happened to her in years?

Kody Keplinger has done it again. I loved this book. You may not like Whitley, but she is a relatable and sympathetic character I couldn’t help hoping would see the light. I may not agree with how she dealt with her issues with her parents, but the dynamics of those relationships struck a serious chord with me–I’ve seen the damage those kinds of parents can do. Also, I loved getting to know Harrison (who showed up in The DUFF) better and seeing that Wesley and Bianca (also from The DUFF) were still together and baffling outsiders with the apparent oddity of their relationship. The book comes with a PG-13 warning.

Erica’s Rating: 4/5

Adam finally spoke. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. My family isn’t like that at all.”

“No one ever does see that side of the story. They just think about the genius. Well, there’s a steep price paid by the people around him.”

“It sucks he treated you that way, but stop confusing me with him. I’m not like that.”

“Maybe not, but give it time.”

Martini Hunter (who much prefers going by Marti) is the daughter of legendary guitarist Steven Hunter. It’s a relationship she hates owning up to because spending the first ten years of her life with him and her drug-addict mother has scarred her. Luckily, her maternal grandmother took her in and Marti was able to live the next six years in relative normalcy. She hates rock music and loves photography, so Marti’s grandma sends her to an exclusive arts camp with a respected photography program. The last thing she expects is to run into the one thing she can’t stand: a rock star.

Adam Jamieson is thrilled to have two weeks to pretend that he’s a normal sixteen-year-old and not the lead guitarist of a world class rock band. He meets a pretty girl and everything is looking great, but the illusion only lasts three days before Marti figures him out. Now she’s pissed because she thinks he’s just like her wastrel father and it doesn’t seem like anything he can do will get him back in her good graces. But once he’s set his sights on something, Adam doesn’t give up easily and Marti is an enticing mystery he’s determined to solve.

Just after they finally get past their initial differences, Marti gets news that her grandmother passed away. With this devastating loss comes the realization that she has to move back to LA to live with her father. Adam has to return to his family on the East Coast but worries there’s a lot Marti isn’t telling him about her life and has to face the criticisms of his older brother and his parents who still insist on treating him like a child. Will he break free in time to help Marti escape the life she never wanted?

I love the Jamieson family. This is the second book centering on the rock star brothers who were first introduced in Rock and a Hard Place. Marti is the perfect combination of scars and strength and she gives Adam’s rock star ego a run for his money. The only thing that really bothered me is that it seemed as though Adam’s older brother Garrett didn’t learn a thing from everything that happened in Rock and a Hard Place. That’s kind of disappointing because most of the trouble in that book was his fault and in this one he’s up to the same tricks. Mrs. Jamieson seems to have taken her lessons to heart, though, and I really enjoyed getting to know Adam better. The book was a quick read (literally. I read it in a single afternoon cause once I started I just kept going!) and is great for anyone looking for a contemporary YA book. For those considering the book for younger readers, there’s more cursing, drugs, and sex in this book than in Angie’s previous ones, but not an excessive amount. Just be aware you may have to explain to the younger ones what a bong is if you give them the story. 🙂

Honestly, I can’t wait to see what Angie comes up with for Garrett. At least, I’m sincerely hoping she has someone up her sleeve to calm down that cranky boy. He needs it more than either of his brothers did, I think! Whenever it comes out (if it comes out… please write it, Angie!), I will definitely be reading it.

Erica’s rating: 4/5

We need her. 

When you’ve been out in an ocean, stung by jellyfish, battered by waves, and circled by sharks in frosty pink lipstick, you grab the first life preserver tossed your way.

We need her. 

I faced every member of KDRS radio staff. I wasn’t naked. I wasn’t alone. And according to Duncan, I was needed.

Before school let out for winter break, Chloe was on top of the world. She and her two best friends were inseparable–and ultra popular–and she’d been crowned Mistletoe Ball Queen. Her Junior Independent Study Project (JISP) had been approved on the lives of soap opera villenesses and she could always make her friends laugh. But then, for no apparent reason, everything completely falls apart. Her best friends hate her and start spreading vicious lies through the school, the old guidance counselor retires and the new one un-approves Chloe’s JISP, and her beloved Grams starts to succumb to her Parkinsons disease. Desperate for a new JISP–because it’s the only problem she seems able to fix–Chloe ends up at the school-run radio station, KDRS. The only problem? No one wants her there. These kids, all outsiders of the school’s social order, have formed their own little family and newcomers aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms. But Chloe doesn’t have any other options and the KDRS kids can’t say no. The only one who doesn’t seem to hate her is the radio’s fix-it guy Duncan who is incredibly cute, but about as taciturn as Chloe is talkative. Can Chloe work her magic and put all the pieces of her life back together or do some things that break stay broken forever?

Before I start, I’m just going to say I love this cover. Is it the best cover ever designed? No, but it fits the book perfectly. The designers paid attention to things like the color of the main character’s hair and her love of vintage fashion and added those details into this layout. It’s colorful, glittery, and totally Chloe. Kudos to the team behind this. When I get published, I hope I have a team who really gets my book and can pull together a cover just as representative of the story. Now, for the actual contents…

Well, I loved those too! The characters were all unique with easy to differentiate voices and I found myself smiling a lot as I read. Shelley did a great job working in a lot of common high-school-age issues without treating them in the same way. Chloe is lambasted by her ex-best friends, but never seeks vengeance. She also doesn’t go out looking to get her popularity back. Because of who she is, though, it comes anyway. The love interest between Chloe and Duncan is adorable and develops naturally. Throughout the book you see Chloe not only coming out of her comfort zone, but helping pull others out of theirs. She’s funny, outgoing, intelligent, and kind. She may end up being a trifle self-absorbed at times, but, honestly, who isn’t? Overall, I found her and the rest of the cast delightful and the book was a quick, fun read.

In the end, I was only left with a couple of questions: 1) What is Clem’s story? The girl who runs the radio station is prickly as hell, but we never really get any background on her. 2) The shoes Chloe is always talking about sound expensive! Where in the world is she getting the money for those? How much does her side job as a promo girl at a Mexican restaurant pay exactly? Still, if those were the only biting, unanswered questions left at the end of the book, I have to say the author did a bang-up job of tying the loose ends together. I can’t tell for sure, but I feel as though there might be a sequel buried in these characters. Maybe with Chloe taking the lead again, maybe not. All I know is I wouldn’t mind taking a trip back into Chloe’s universe one day.

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

Almost. Almost.

How I hate that word and the way it defines me.

Almost raped. Almost over it. Almost normal.

I can almost forget. Way worse, I can almost remember.

I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. Even though everyone says it wasn’t my fault, I feel responsible. How can this messed up life not be partly my deal? I did wrong. I broke all the rules that night. And I’m paying the consequences for my ‘bad choices’ in this endless time-out. Nightmare. Punishment. Endless time-out.

It’s been three years and Jess Jordan still isn’t over something that technically didn’t happen. She barely even remembers that night, but what she does remember is just enough to give her nightmares every time she falls asleep in the dark. Her solution? Don’t sleep at night. Instead, she uses her Jeep to catch catnaps whenever she has some spare time. The silence in the house at night helps convince her parents everything is getting back to “normal,” but they’re not ready to let her move out at the end of her senior year unless she can prove it. Her sister’s solution? Get a job, get some friends, get a boyfriend. So that’s what Jess is trying to do–land an internship at the headquarters of Geekstuff.com. The only problem? She’s not the only one they’re considering.

Three years ago, Gray Porter promised Jess Jordan’s parents he’d stay away from her even though that’s the last thing he wants to do. Come senior year, though, he is getting a little desperate for money since his chances at a hockey scholarship are out the window. When he hears Geekstuff.com is going to pay their intern $8,000 for a few weeks work, he’s determined that intern is going to be him… until he realizes Jess Jordan is the only other candidate left. He’s been keeping a secret that’s been slowly eating away at him for a long time and Jess is at the heart of it.

It’s the last thing she expected when she arrived for the second interview, but when Jess goes home that day she has everything her sister thought she needed to qualify as a “normal” teen: a job, friends, and a boyfriend. So what if she had to offer to work for free just to get the job? So what if her new friends just happened to come with her boyfriend? And so what if her boyfriend–her very cute boyfriend–only agreed because she’s paying him $8,000 to play the part for a few weeks? It still counts, right? But Jess doesn’t know she’s spending time with the one person outside her family who knows what keeps her up at night. What will she do if hearing his voice every day starts to bring back the memory of that night so long ago? Do they even stand a chance or will their relationship me one more almost to add to her list?

That summary was a lot longer than I usually do, but the story is complicated. This is partially because it’s told from both perspectives: Jess and Gray. I loved that. I always want to know what the characters are thinking and this format allows us to see exactly that. There were a lot of adorable moments between Jess and Gray, but I think the strongest part of this book is that it revolves around an “almost.” A lot of people forget that even something that almost happened can destroy a life; almost getting raped definitely falls into that category.

Honestly, I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to pretty much anyone who like contemporary YA. Despite the subject matter, there’s actually little to no cursing, sex, violence, or any other graphic material, so even giving it to younger readers as a conversation starter would probably be okay. My only complaints? 1) At times Gray came off a tiny (tiny) bit girlish, especially in the wording when he started gushing over Jess, and 2) through the beginning of the book I sometimes felt Jess’ reactions and her level of trauma were a tad overblown… until she finally remembered what happened. Then, I realized, not so much. I’m not sure if this reaction is because I haven’t suffered through something like this and can’t relate or because that actual horror of the circumstances don’t come through until the night finally comes back to her… Overall I thought Anne’s story and her characters were strong. She’s got a new book coming out soon and I’ll definitely be buying it when it hits Amazon!

Erica’s Rating: 4/5

Out one night in support of her two best friends, Bianca is doing what she always does when they drag her to The Nest: sit at the bar sipping Cherry Coke and talking to the bartender Joe. She’s bored and restless, but resigned. At least until Wesley Rush decides to occupy the bar stool next to hers. He’s arrogant, rude, charming, promiscuous, and unbelievably attractive, so Bianca doesn’t bother playing his game. Which is a good thing because he pretty quickly admits he’s only talking to her because she’s the DUFF–the designated ugly fat friend–and spending time with the DUFF is a surefire way to hookup with the hotter friends. And he has his eye on hers. Disgusted, Bianca douses Wesley in the remainder of her Coke, grabs her friends, and storms out, convinced she won’t be hearing from Wesley again anytime soon. His insult, though, plays incessantly in her mind. Add that to finding out her crush has a girlfriend at another school, her mom–who has been on a book tour for two months–still isn’t coming home, and crashing in Wesley in the hall during school and Bianca is teetering on the edge of a truly horrendous day. Wesley sitting next to her at The Nest that night is just icing on the cake. Already on edge, she loses control when he notices her foul mood and actually asks her what’s wrong. Without thinking, she grabs him and pulls him into a kiss that nearly devours them both. The rush is like a drug that makes her forget all of her stupid problems. At least, until she feels Wesley’s hand traveling up her chest and into forbidden territory. Then she pushes him away, slaps him across the face, and once again storms off.

Life seems to be plotting against her, though. Problems that seemed manageable grow ever worse and then expand into unforeseen territory including the return of her one ex-boyfriend and the guy she gave her virginity too years ago and the arrival of divorce papers from her mother. Bianca doesn’t know how to handle it, but she remembers how easy it was to forget everything when Wesley’s mouth was on hers, so she loses herself in him again, this time in an enemies-with-benefits relationship that consumes them both. As things get worse at home, she finds herself spending more and more time with Wesley (and not just in bed) and less time with her friends, especially Casey who asks too many questions. But Wesley is safe because he doesn’t really care. Wesley is safe because she’s just another notch on his headboard. Wesley is safe because she’s the DUFF–as he constantly reminds her–and there’s no way the infamous Wesley Rush would ever fall for the DUFF. But there is the danger that the DUFF may fall for Wesley Rush. Eventually, Bianca has to face facts and try to fix the mess her life has become. Will she be able to figure out what to do about Wesley, how to fix her strained relationship with her best friends, and save her father from going off the deep end before everything is shattered beyond repair?

Before I go into my take on this story, a warning. This book is definitely rated PG-13. Possibly R depending on your stance on things. There’s a lot of sex (not graphically described, but it’s there), swearing, and a few other things some parents would probably find objectionable. On the other hand, it’s also a pretty honest look at teen life today. Honest, accurate, and eye-opening. The point of the story isn’t the sex, the crush, the parents, or even the friends. It’s about Bianca’s perception of herself, especially after hearing herself described as the DUFF by one of the hottest guys in her school. She can instantly see that he’s right and each time he calls her Duffy (which is often as their relationship continues), it’s like a knife wound in her already shaky self-confidence. It has become habit for Bianca to bottle everything up to the point where her friends know to translate the phrase “I’m fine” as “Shut up because I’m not going to tell you what’s wrong.” Everything in her life feels like it’s out of her control but she doesn’t want to add her stress to everyone else’s. That is something I can completely understand as it’s a habit I have as well. One that’s hard to break. While some people are going to dislike the casual references to sex and the way Bianca flings herself into a relationship with a guy she knows is a “man-whore,” I think the whole story is crafted in a way that shows you how little you see of the people around you and how you can’t judge them just because you know one thing about them. It teaches a lesson that can be applied universally, to boys, girls, teens, or adults. I was impressed by Kody’s characters and the way they developed through the story and it really felt like a peek into the life of some group of highschool kids somewhere in the country. Anywhere, really. So, despite the maturity warning I attach to the book, it’s still one I highly recommend. I really enjoyed reading it.

Erica’s Rating: 4/5