Waiting on Wednesday – Week 106

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming books that I'm DYING to get my hands on.

This week's WoW is:

Remember Me by Romily Bernard

**Spoilers from Book 1**

In the sequel to Find Me, Wick Tate, sarcastic teen hacker, is back and once again dealing with criminals and corrupt cops…and a brooding new love interest. Will Wick persevere when some secrets refuse to stay hidden?

Wick had thought her troubles were over.

But she should’ve known better.

Not only is she embroiled in a new murder case, which starts with a body with “Remember Me” carved into it and doesn’t stop there, but she also discovers new evidence surrounding her mother’s suicide…which leads her right back to her imprisoned deadbeat dad. And she has to deal with her flirty new hacker friend, Milo, sniffing around—which her boyfriend, Griff, isn’t too happy about.

The pressure might be too much as secrets—including Wick’s own—climb to the surface.

September 23, 2014 ● Goodreads

I loved Find Me (review HERE) and after that ending, of course I was hungry for more! Why does September have to be so far away?! Anyway, more mystery, more hacking and more Griffin, so my appetite should be satisfied at the end of this one. Can't wait!

What are you waiting on?

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Rated: YA 14+
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

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 in 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.

There are thousands – and I mean thousands – of young adult contemporaries out there. Many possess unique qualities, some are clichéd, but every once in a while there comes along a book that just makes you go wow. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell was so raw and beautiful. I devoured every word, I poured over the pages and held onto this book, clinging on to it's riveting story.
I'd of course heard of this novel before deciding to finally sit down and read it. I've seen fan art of Eleanor and Park on Tumblr, I've heard people raving about it endlessly. My sister borrowed the book from the library and refused to let me read it, so then, and only then, did I finally go and check out a copy to read... a decision which I'm glad I made.

Regarding Eleanor's character, while I couldn't exactly relate to her fashion sense, I could relate to her through her physical appearance, with her issues with her body. There are times in the book when Eleanor feels like she needs to hide her body from Park, because she's too "big". I really felt a connection with this because I sometimes feel like that too, standing out sometimes because of body shape. It's awful and I could absolutely empathize with her character. I also found her views and opinions very interesting, particularly her thoughts on the X-Men female characters. I enjoyed reading her narrative and think she's a really strong character.
Park was really sweet. I loved him and his narration so much. It was an interesting, diverse choice with his character as he's half-Korean. I liked that I was able to visualize what he would look like. Rowell's writing is amazing that way and her descriptions really make it easy to picture the characters, events and setting in the book.
Of course you've got to read the book to know why, but I loved the supporting characters, especially Park's family and more or less (because they didn't too much of an appearance) Eleanor's siblings. I just wish there had been more development of Cal, DeNice and Beebi's characters. As friends to main characters, they took the back seat completely. Even the mean girl, Tina and her boyfriend Steve weren't mentioned that much. I felt that at times the book completely isolated Eleanor and Park, and we didn't get the chance to discover some of the great secondary characters in this novel.

It was an intriguing time period choice. It's not too far back, but in YA we tend to not find that many books set so "far" back in the past. However, with the music references, I didn't know a lot of them. I'd heard of the bands and singers, but no idea about the songs that Eleanor and Park discuss. I got the comic book references – I've seen the X-Men movies, but haven't read any comics other than that. It was weird because sometimes, I would have to catch myself because I would automatically assume that it was set in the present and then get thrown-off when something from the 80's is present, and there wasn't a trace of the technology from this century.
I liked the switch in perspectives. The third person narrative was an interesting touch, but of course with the focalization of Eleanor and Park, we got to learn more about them, despite being told in this particular POV. This I feel was what made it easier to connect with their characters because the perspectives were depicted in a continuous flow of events and showed both sides of the story.

Eleanor & Park was sweet– a gorgeous coming of age story about understanding oneself and discovering love. Rainbow Rowell is a new favorite of mine, and I can't wait to dive into another one of her masterpieces.

If you like this, try...

• Paper Towns by John Green ● Goodreads
• Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen ● Goodreads
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli ● Goodreads

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The Dark by Lemony Snicket

The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Release Date: April 2, 2013
Illustrated by: Jon Klassen (Website)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rated: Children 5+
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
Source: Gifted – thanks Vaidehi!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark is not afraid of Laszlo. 

Laszlo lives in a house. The dark lives in the basement. 

One night, the dark comes upstairs to Laszlo's room, and Laszlo goes down to the basement.

This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark.

I don't usually review picture books, but I'm definitely willing to make an exception for Lemony Snicket's. I'm a huge fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events and have yet to start All the Wrong Questions. When I received The Dark for my 18th birthday (a gift to remember childhood, as my friend put it), I got down to reading it as soon as possible. My sister and I, sat there, side by side, and read the book in five minutes. Both of us being fans of Lemony Snicket, we loved that he had the same, interesting tone when he approached this book for younger children. My sister noted that he placed all the voice of Laszlo and the dark in the light and dark respectively. It's a really cute story about a boy overcoming his fear of the dark. It reminds me so much of the hundreds of picture books I'd consumed growing up, but the illustrations in this one are absolutely gorgeous. It felt amazing to pick up a picture book once again and actually get down to reading it.

Accompanied by adorable and beautiful illustrations, The Dark is one picture book that I feel anyone, young or old, can pick up and love. Lemony Snicket has returned with a lovely book aimed at younger readers, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

If you liked this, try...

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein ● Goodreads
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg ● Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 105

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads that I'm DYING to get my hands on!

This week's WoW is:

Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about the former senator’s daughter. Most people do... or think they do.

Charlotte certainly never expects she’ll be Julia’s friend. But almost immediately, she is drawn into the larger than-life-new girl’s world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails. And then Charlotte meets, and begins falling for, Julia’s handsome older brother, Sebastian.

But behind her self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, Charlotte soon realizes that Julia is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden … until now.

14 October, 2014 ● Goodreads

Do I smell scandal and heartbreak? This one sounds really good... not your typical contemporary. HarperCollins and it's imprints just released a GAJILLION covers so I'm feeling this will be a trend for the next couple of WoWs. Anyway, can't wait for this one!

What are you waiting on?

Cover Reveal: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter + Giveaway

I have another really exciting cover reveal for you all!

First came Alice in Zombieland (read my review HERE)...

Then there was Through the Zombie Glass...

AND NOW, I give you: THE QUEEN OF ZOMBIE HEARTS!

30 September, 2014 ● Goodreads ● Harlequin Teen

I have a plan.

We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice 'Ali' Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers; until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters; and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing and turning Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

The Official White Rabbit Chronicles Website

Pre-order your copy: Amazon ● Barnes & Noble

GENA SHOWALTER

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, the Angels of the Dark, the Lords of the Underworld, and the Otherworld Assassins series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, and have been translated in multiple languages.  She lives in Oklahoma with her family and menagerie of dogs, and truly believes love conquers all.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/The White Rabbit Chronicles Facebook

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Giveaway time!

You can win...

1 complete set of The White Rabbit Chronicles (first 2 sent as soon as the giveaway is over and the winner will get the first hardcover of book 3 when it's available!) 
US/Canada Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thank you so much to Rockstar Book Tours!

Cover Reveal: Get Even by Gretchen McNeil + Giveaway

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be apart of the cover reveal for Gretchen McNeil's upcoming book, Get Even! The cover was released earlier this week, I know, but due to time constraints this was the earliest I could post it. Anyway, onto the cover!

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil 

(Get Even #1)

16 September, 2014 ● Goodreads ● Balzer + Bray

Follows the secretive exploits of four high school juniors - Kitty, Olivia, Margot and Bree - at an exclusive Catholic prep school.

To all outward appearances, the girls barely know each other. At best, they don't move in the same social circles; at worst, they're overtly hostile.

Margot Mejia – academically ranked number two in her class, Margot is a focused overachiever bound for the Ivy League.

Kitty Li – captain of the California state and national champion varsity girls' volleyball team, she's been recruited by a dozen colleges and has dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Olivia Hayes – popular star of the drama program, she's been voted "most eligible bachelorette" two years running in the high school yearbook and has an almost lethal combination of beauty and charm.

Bree Deringer – outcast, misfit and the kind of girl you don't want to meet in a dark alley, the stop sign red-haired punk is a constant thorn in the side of teachers and school administrators alike.

Different goals, different friends, different lives, but the girls share a secret no one would ever guess. They are members of Don't Get Mad, a society specializing in seeking revenge for fellow students who have been silently victimized by their peers. Each girl has her own reason for joining the group, her own set of demons to assuage by evening the score for someone else. And though school administration is desperate to find out who is behind the DGM "events", the girls have managed to keep their secret well hidden.

That is until one of their targets – a douchebag senior who took advantage of a drunk underclassman during a house party, videotaped it on his phone, and posted it on YouTube – turns up dead, and DGM is implicated in the murder.

Now the girls don't know who to trust, and as their tenuous alliance begins to crumble, the secrets they've hidden for so long might be their ultimate undoing.

About the Author:

Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as "Monday," and she is an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 children's debut authors.

You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, and on her blog.

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Giveaway time!

Must be 13+ To Enter | See restrictions in Terms & Conditions located at bottom of Raffelcopter Form

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thank you so much to Book Nerd Tours!

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

When it comes to Elizabeth Scott's books, I would read any of them in a heartbeat (pun intended). I've already read so many of them – The Unwritten Rule, Stealing Heaven, Between Here and Forever, Living Dead Girl and Something, Maybe. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read Heartbeat, because it was amazing. I loved it. It was so honest, and an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish.

Okay, I understand why people didn't enjoy the book because of Emma's character. I thought she was a bit too harsh towards her step-father. However, I thought that the emotions that her character goes through are so believable, and really epitomizes the true essence of young adult fiction, because I could see why she would be that upset and why she would say those things. I mean, sure, it was sad how she treated her step-father and it may get a little over-the-top at some parts, but it's still understandable. 
Dan: definitely one of the sweetest father figures EVER. While I did like Emma's character, I felt so sorry for him with her yelling at him constantly and pushing at him that he never loved her mother. It was really sad to see him have to deal with a step-daughter who hated him. 
I don't think I've ever talked about the love interest second to another character (other than the MC). Oh well, what can I say? I have faith in Elizabeth Scott's love interests (HELLO, Finn from Something, Maybe), and Caleb did not let me down. Reminded me of so many of the bad boys in young adult fiction with good hearts, and I loved his story and how much he could realte to Emma. I felt really bad for him because his parents were AWFUL people, and I knew there was more to his angry exterior. Olivia was another really cute character, and I love how close she is to Emma, and how our main character could always rely on her.

Heartbeat kind of reminded me of Between Here and Forever, because of the mother and where the main character meets the love interest– it's quite similar in that respect. Otherwise, I thought this was an original read. I loved the Q & A at the end of the book with the author, and thought that it was interesting how Scott came about writing this book and it's topic – I've never heard of it happening in real life (she does say it's rare for this to happen), but I'm glad i got the chance to read it. To be able to put oneself in a character's shoes in a situation that's you've never previously experienced is the main reason why I love reading, and Elizabeth Scott's writing captures the feelings and the actions of the characters so realistically.

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Elizabeth Scott is definitely a Queen of Teen Fiction. I love everything she writes, and pretty sure I will with her future works as well, because she puts so much heart into her words. I was so moved by Heartbeat. It's lyrical and heartbreaking, having the right amount of everything. I'm eagerly anticipating her next work!

If you like this, try...

• Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott ● Goodreads
• Never Enough by Denise Jaden ● Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 104

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming reads that I'm DYING to get my hands on!
But first...

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! 

Whooo!

I'm officially 18 years old!!

...and continuing on with today's post...

This week's WoW is:

Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster

Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.

Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?

Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.

November 4, 2014 ● Goodreads

I LOVED City of a Thousand Dolls (my review here)– I was lucky enough that the author sent a copy for review and THEN I won a signed copy of it to keep! While I'm sad that it won't be the same main characters in this one, I love the world-building in this series and excited to see some potential character crossovers featured :D Can't wait!

What are you waiting on?

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Series: My Life Next Door, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

One of the most coveted YA contemporary books of 2012, I was desperate to get my hands on this one. Luckily, Huntley Fitzpatrick was super sweet and actually sent a copy, and I'm telling you: Holy macaroni, this book was AMAZING. Almost like a modern-day Romeo & Juliet, minus the brawl, deaths and men in tights.
Original contemporaries are so hard to come by these days, but this one is such a gem amongst many of the clichéd stories we have in the world of YA. While I knew I was pretty much going to like this one before reading it, I had a small fear that the writing would be cheesy, the story would be to similar to others and the romance would be instant, leaving out development of the relationship. But I'm glad my fears were put to rest because this one is absolutely irresistible. Huntley Fitzpatrick's writing style is amazing, and you have a fabulous blend of the fluffy romance that everyone loves, along with the more profound side of contemporaries.

❝Then suddenly, I hear a voice, right near me. Right below me.
"Hey."
Startled, I almost lose my balance. Then I feel a steadying hand on my ankle and hear a rustling sound, as someone, some guy, climbs up the trellis and onto the roof, my own secret place.
"Hey," he says again, sitting down next to me as though he knows me well. "Need rescuing?"❞

–p. 13 (ARC* copy)

*text is subject to change in the final copy

The romance between Samantha and Jase totally worked. I loved the chemistry between them– it just worked! While I liked Samantha, I only liked her later on in the book, when she meets the Garrets. It's interesting how she interacts with the different siblings, and I liked the contrast between the two families... gave the story a lot more edge, rather than an easy-going, ordinary story. It's honestly no surprise that I loved Jase from the start: the good guy, good looks, looks out for his family, so what's not to love?
The Garrets are brilliant. They were sweet, open and humble, and you can't help but fall in love with the family like Samantha does. I can see why she envies them, because compared to her strict and opinionated mother, and a sister that rarely makes an appearance, they're clearly what the Reeds are not.

As I'd mentioned before, the story does take a slightly more serious turn. I appreciated this, because while I do love my share of fluff, when a book contains more serious matters, it makes it so much more profound and stands out from the rest. This presents such a large shift, especially for several of the characters, and really changes the mood and atmosphere of the book. Nonetheless, it was engrossing, wondering what's going to happen next and how things will turn out in the end.

Blissfully sweet and heart-warming, I fell head over heels for My Life Next Door. Huntley Fitzpatrick's debut has made me swoon and beg for more. The next book in the series promises the point of view from another character in the book, one that I'm excited to learn more about and an interesting romance that will blossom. I can't wait!

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Huntley Fitzpatrick for sending a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ● Goodreads
• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han ● Goodreads

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Series: Alienated, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed – Thanks Richa (City of Books)!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

I was really sad when I didn't get approved on NetGalley for an eGalley of Alienated, but luckily one of my best friends Richa @ City of Books was lucky enough to receive the book and lent it to me to read. 2014 really seems to be be the year of science-fiction for me – first Avalon, and now this. I've never really read about aliens in YA so far, and I'm glad to say I LOVED this one. It's so funny, romantic and action-packed that you can't help but be sucked in by this larger than life contemporary-meets-dystopian.
Alienated had such an original premise. It's strange that human contact with aliens has not been a prominent feature in young adult fiction previously. Lander's take on it sets the story in a time not too far off from now and in an environment that's very contemporary. I like this because it makes it easier to imagine the setting for most of the book. The only time when you'd have to really think it out is with the L'eihr planet.

I loved all characters! Definitely something that I don't say with all YA books, but honestly, I actually liked all the characters present in the book. It doesn't matter if they're good or bad people, I admired the way that they were crafted in Alienated.
Is there like, a growing trend with the red-heads in YA? Because (surprise, surprise!) Cara is yet another one. Like all red-heads before her, she's feisty, funny and hot-headed. What I loved the most about her though was the fact that she was willing to stand up for Aelyx, even when her friend and boyfriend leave her and join the rest of the school with threats against Aelyx. Honestly, putting myself in that position, I would have caved instantly. But nope, she's so defiant, and that's what I revered with her character.
It's going to be pretty hard to not fan-girl about Aelyx. I mean, honestly, when you picture an alien, what's the first thing you think of? Big green head, small body, three fingers... and then you come across this cute, nay, HOT guy, and you know why you get the fluttery feeling like Cara does throughout the book. And do not make me mention the sh'ellam scene... *swoons*

I thought that the novel also addressed a large topic that many teens could relate to: bullying and hate crime. Melissa Landers addresses this in the interactions between the humans and the L'eihrs, but it's quite plain to see with the threats, the cold treatment from classmates, and so on, that this could be translated into a modern day context with singling out people, bullying through rumors and such.
I'm really glad this is going to be a series, because while I thought it could have passed as a stand-alone, which is what I thought it was originally, there were still some ends that needed tying up. I'm excited to delve back into this world of swoon-worthy aliens and tension between earth and L'eihr.

Alienated was a ton of fun to read, with a romance to die for and conflict that is literally two teenagers vs. the world. Melissa Landers' debut has hit a sweet-spot, writing a novel that I'm sure will captivate readers who love any genre in the world of young adult fiction. I hate that I read this one so early, because now the wait for the sequel, Invaded, is an even longer one. Nonetheless, I'm ecstatic to read more!

If you like this, try...

• Uninvited by Sophie Jordan ● Goodreads

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Anything to Have You Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley for Blog Tour
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys.

Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.

Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.

Having read Paige Harbison's other book, New Girl, I knew I had to get my hands on Anything to Have You. So, I jumped at the opportunity to be on the blog tour and have the chance to finally read it. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, because there are so many negative reviews. I actually found myself really engaged by the story – even though I thought it was a bit too long – but I really thought that while this had the same bones of many contemporaries in YA, Harbison's latest novel had a spark. There was something different and something unique about this story... it's clearly not a fluffy read, but has some darker elements to it. It reminded me of Elizabeth Scott's The Unwritten Rule, but had a different twist of events at the end.

A lot of the negative reviews had problems with the characters, and I could kinda see why. I liked Natalie because I could relate to her. I would honestly rather stay home and watch movies than go out. Sometimes I wish that she had more of a spine, but otherwise, I did love her character because I could see where she's coming from and it was easier to empathize with her in contrast to Brooke. Brooke just straight out annoyed me. Throughout Natalie's narrative she annoyed me, but it was only when the perspective shifted I could kinda see why she acts the way she does. Nonetheless, I still disliked her immensely until the end of the book. Aiden was probably the only character I whole-heartedly LOVED. His character is an absolute sweetheart, all around good guy and wants to do the right thing.
I wasn't expecting a switch in perspectives because I thought the story would be completely from Natalie's side, but I liked how we got to see both sides of the story, and it really gave more depth to the story. While I did like how the perspectives go over the same events giving us the story from both sides, at times I felt that Brooke's side was more of a recaps, because it rushed through the parts that Natalie's story already covered, and I feel that this is what contributed to my lack of empathy for her character.

There's a big twist at the end that I definitely did not see coming. It isn't what you'd expect actually– from the blurb, it's pretty obvious that one thing is going to happen, but there's another HUGE something that happens. It was quite a jolt, a punch to the stomach that had me going, "WHAT?", but I feel that's what made the story a lot more interesting.
The end was great, but what I really loved (surprisingly), was the end of Brooke's story. Something from the beginning comes back at the end and had me smiling with realization. Completely cliché, but in the best way!

Paige Harbison's take on contemporaries is unique in style and captivating in narrative. Anything to Have You was engaging, capturing the ups and downs of friendship and love in a voice that teens will find riveting and one that they can relate to. Paige Harbison's third novel has me excited for what will hopefully be many more to come.

If you like this, try...

• The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott ● Goodreads
• Torn by Stephanie Guerra ● Goodreads

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Paige Harbison

Paige Harbison recently graduated from Towson University with a Bacehlor of Science in Fine Arts. She grew up on the outskirts of Washington D.C.. She spends most of her time with friends – who give her constant inspiration for characters – and calls it research. The rest of her time is spent writing, painting, and following all of the worst TV shows.

Website ● Goodreads ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Pinterest

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