The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles (Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Drama, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Publication.Date	May 14th 2013
Pages:	448
Published By:	Ember
Website	Beth Reekles
	The Kissing Booth on Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

A cool, sexy romance novel written by seventeen-year-old British sensation Beth Reekles.

Meet Rochelle “Elle” Evans: pretty, popular—and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile—and a total player.

When Elle decides to run a kissing booth at her school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer. This romance seems far from a fairy tale.

Is Elle headed for heartbreak or will she get her happily ever after?

(Goodreads)

Wow. Death by books. That would have been some way to go.

‘Does he ever scare you? I mean . . . I know he’s not quite the Incredible Hulk or anything, but he can lose his temper kinda quickly.’

‘That’s just the way he is. I grew up with him around. He couldn’t scare me – I know that he’s . . . intimidating . . .

     The Kissing Booth is a quick and quite enjoyable summer read that kept me well entertained for a couple of days. I wouldn't call it memorable or game-changing, but it was definitely cute and sunny, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys teen angst, secret love affairs and overly dramatic female characters. 

     This book reminded me a lot of Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire and I think anyone who is looking for a more YA-friendly version of that book (tamer, more cutesy) will definitely enjoy The Kissing Booth. Like Beautiful Disaster, this book has a cocky and controlling guy, a sweet and naive girl (who, of course, doesn't realize how hot she actually is), and lots and lots of drama. There's passion, kissing, fooling around and even some sex. There's sneaking around, lying, breaking up and reconciling. And a whole lot of acting stupid and irrational. The only difference is that The Kissing Booth has a better ending that redeems some of that stupid and irrational stuff that goes down in the second half of the book, leaving the reader slightly more satisfied (still pretty frustrated, though). 

     Personally, I wasn't a fan of Beautiful Disaster at all and, sadly, there were things about The Kissing Booth that annoyed me just as much. For instance, there is nothing I hate more than cocky, controlling, border-line abusive love-interests, and while Noah isn't as horrible as Travis, he is still far from perfect. Overprotective, stubborn, jealous and possessive, Noah frequently behave in a way that made me cringe and shake my head in disgust. He tells Rochelle what she should wear and who she should or shouldn't talk to, and makes sure that no other boy ever flirts with her or even looks at her in a *funny* way (as in: expressing interest). He scares off potential boyfriends and throws punches whenever someone makes an inappropriate joke - even when Rochelle herself is provoking and then enjoying the jokes. The weirdest thing is, he's been doing all that for years before they even got together (a silent stalker sneaking around in the shadows?). I couldn't stand him. To me, he was spoiled, selfish and childish, and I hated how he would use the same excuse over and over again to rationalize his erratic behaviour ("I'm only looking out for you"). 

     Rochelle frustrated me even more. Her behaviour didn't make much sense either. She would go on insisting that they keep they relationship secret from everyone (including her best friend and Noah's brother, Lee), and when the truth finally came out, she turned the situation around and blamed Noah for everything. She was all innocent and goody-goody, but didn't mind sneaking around with Noah and having sex before making their relationship known to the public. 

     The ending itself caught me by surprise. I expected Noah and Rochelle to finally get together and make it official, and then adjust their plans for the future accordingly. I swear, I thought these two would make a decision to go to the same school or do something even more drastic, just to stay together. Instead, what we got was sort of a "whatever will be, will be" ending. Both of them decided to put their education/career first (which is the mature thing to do), and they agreed to wait and see where life will take them. Considering everything that happened prior to that, I must say I was very surprised, but kind of happy with that ending. It was a realistic ending with a good message, and I appreciated that. 

     All things considered, The Kissing Booth was a good book. Emotionally engaging, at times quite heart-pounding and definitely entertaining. A great summer read to enjoy on the beach, with a glass of ice tea on the side. If you're looking for something fun and hot, but not necessarily intellectually stimulating or demanding, this might be the book for you. If, however, you're bothered by unrealistically depicted relationships, weirdly motivated behaviours and superficial, cliched characters, it might be best to stir clear off it.

Brilliant Nightmare by Edita Birschbach (Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Historical Romance, Paranormal
Publication.Date	February 15th 2013 (ebook)
Pages:	351
Published By:	Edita Birschbach
Website	Edita Bitschbach
	Brilliant Nightmare on Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

Ruby wakes up from one of her many vivid nightmares and for a few seconds doesn't know where she is. She spent the night as Lucie, a young Czech living under Nazi occupation, watching the love of her life being taken away to a concentration camp.

Getting over the horrible dreams would be difficult as it is, but Ruby also needs to come to terms with her inexplicable knowledge of Czech and German. Her family has never said a word in a foreign language, so where do her linguistic abilities come from? And should she pay any attention to a fortuneteller at the county fair? The odd woman checks Ruby's palm and mutters, “Forget everything and don’t try to find the answers. Don’t drag your sister into scrutinizing the past.” Ruby has only one sibling, and the little dynamo Gerald would never qualify as a girl. But to dismiss the woman's cryptic advice is not easily done since Ruby's dreams reveal that the fortuneteller was somebody very close to Lucie. What if the nightmares truly are memories of a past life?

(Goodreads)

“He smiled at me in a way that should be banned from the school premises since it made me feel … well let’s say, for the lack of a better euphemism, constipated.”

“Before he could mess up my hair, Gerald turned to him and said, ‘Daddy, you tend to teach me things. I don’t know what tend means, but you do teach me stuff.’”

“’Put these on,’ Jennifer handed me something that looked like baby underwear. If the baby was a stripper.”

     I was incredibly excited to jump into this one. The premise seemed phenomenal, and the tagline on the cover "I waited for you for two years, and then I died" made me so happy I could burst. So yeah, I was excited to read this book. Then I sat down and started reading it, and I was honestly disappointed.

     This book was just not what I expected at all. I kept waiting for everything to come together, and for the big point of everything to shine through. I'm not exactly sure that ever happened. Sure, things worked out, but it was a lot of high school drama with a little bit of past life frustration mixed in. I was expecting there to be more focus set on figuring out what was up with her dreams, and instead I just got a paragraph or two after each dream, and a handful of bothersome conversations with friends.

     This book WAS NOT all bad, though. I even enjoyed some of it. But not as much as I would have liked.

Character Rundown:

Ruby: She bored me sometimes. I don't feel like she was a very remarkable character at all. She's insecure, and definitely did not seem like a high school senior most of the time. 

Troy: I feel like he should have had a bigger part in this story, all things considered. But instead he got a few fleeting thoughts here and there. I also didn't like how HE acted throughout the book. Who ditches their best friend like that? Not that Ruby was too great herself, but still. I DID like him around the end, though. I have a feeling his character is only going to get better.

Adam: I liked Adam. I liked him A LOT. But I don't see why his character was made to be so important. Maybe that'll be shown in the next book? Also, Adam was bossy. Super controlling. He would have earned a slap across the face if I had been in Ruby's situation with him sometime. And this guy and his feelings. They changed so quickly! I'm not going to spoil, though. Uuuugh. This boy just played with my emotions a bit. In the end, though, he pulled through like Troy.

I am Team Troy, by the way. I like that Adam's foreign, therefore there is going to be an accent, but...Troy's my boy. ;)

Plot. I got so bored sometimes. But then there would be redeeming moments and I wouldn't want to miss a thing! And Ruby's past life...it was so incredibly sad. I feel for Petr the most. Having to wear the star...anything Holocaust when I'm reading is almost always redeeming. I feel for it so much. But as I said, this book is heavier on the drama. There were little nuggets of nice things strewn about the pages, but other parts did drag the story down, and also SLOW it down.

Romance. Not as great as I'd hoped it would be. It's a reincarnation love story! Should be great, right? But it wasn't, really. I found myself wishing the romance was sweeter. There were, of course, some sweet moments, though. Especially with Petr. Oh, I love that boy. Adam said a few right things, too, and Troy pulled through in the end. Overall, I wished for more.

The ending. Total cliffhanger. But it DID leave me wanting to read the next book. I honestly think the next book has the possibility to be better than the first. I'm not rushing to get to it, but it is definitely on my list. 

 

Overall, Brilliant Nightmare was not what I expected at all. It lacks much heaviness, but has quite a few redeeming qualities. I think it was a solid start for this series, and that the next book will be better. So if you want to give this one a chance, I say go for it, but don't build your hopes up super high. It's not a bad book, but it isn't one of my favorites either. I'd say it was okay.

Death In The Shadows (In Darkness We Must Abide #2) by Rhiannon Frater (Review)

Genre:	Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy
Publication.Date	March 2013 (ebook)
Pages:	??
Published By:	Amazon Digital Services
Website	Rhiannon Frater
	Death In The Shadows on Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

Episode 2

Death has claimed a Socoli, but the family curse will not allow him to stay dead. Vanora and Alisha must battle the creature that stole their brother's life while fearing the possible resurrection of Roman. 

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever. 

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

Each episode will be between 10,000 and 20,000 words with new installments being published every 2 to 3 weeks.

Episode 1: Death Comes Home (Available now)

Roman Socoli inadvertently releases a terrible evil when he has his Romanian ancestors entombed on his estate in Houston, Texas.

(Goodreads)

Tears glittering in her eyes, her thoughts drifted to her family and the terrible fate that had befallen them.

The shadows no longer hid secrets.

A quaint, middle-class neighborhood that surrounded the estate emerged and his hunger surged. He had to get away from these people too. He could no longer trust himself. Every fiber of his being yearned for the life-giving warmth of blood.

He expected to feel remorse, but as he had fed and the hunger had faded, he had felt nothing more than satisfaction.

In the mausoleum, the vampires slept. Both dreamed of their plans for their approaching night. One dreamed of blood and victory, the other dreamed of murder and revenge.

       This vampire is not messing around. No, sir. He is badass. No glittering in the sun, no dashing 100-watt smile. Pure and uninhibited evil. He wants to collect the Socoli children and he wants to collect them bad.

     With Alisha and Vanora dealing with the death of their brother, and the knowledge that the vampire killed him, things are getting a little more hectic. At the same time, these sisters are really bonding together to protect one another.

     Death in the Shadows also allows more depth into their characters. I can already tell that Vanora, despite her young age, is going to be a force to be reckoned with. She’s a feisty spitfire and I’m very curious to find out what’s going to happen in the next three serials.

     One of my favorite parts of this series, is that it goes back to the roots of vampirism. Think Dracula. It’s scary and suspenseful and has the feel of a classic gothic horror novel. You are also very connected with the characters. Their attempt at survival against odds they never could have imagined facing.

     This episode ends more hopeful for the Socoli family, though there were a few scenes that just broke my heart, and I’m really pulling for this family, but at the same time I get a feeling that it’s not going to end as well as these characters imagine/hope it will.

The Program by Suzanne Young (Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia,
Publication.Date	April 30th 2013 (Hardcover edition)
Pages:	408
Published By:	Simon Pulse
Website	Suzanne Young
	The Program on Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy purchased by me.

Where to get:

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

(Goodreads)

I don't know what I believe anymore, and really, I try not to think about it. But the psychologists say that suicide is a behavioral contagion. It's the old adage "If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?" Apparently the answer is yes.

The teacher stares at me. Everyone is waiting to see my reaction, if I'll be ext. If they'll come rushing in here at any second. But I do nothing. Inside I'm dying, ripping apart and bleeding. I'm so far gone I'm not sure I can get back, but I ope my notebook and poise my pencil over it, as if I'm ready to write.

I lie against my pillow, letting the sorrow seep in for a second. My parents betrayed me. I hate them, even though I know I shouldn't. They thought they were saving me, but instead they've condemned me to a half-lived life. I'm loosing everything.

"Maybe I want to waste away."

"Don't say things like that in here," he whispers fiercely. "You'll get flagged again."

I nod, feeling bad for upsetting him, and I take his hand under the table. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself," I say quietly. "My memories...I don't have many left."

     I have been in love with Young's reading ever since I picked up A Need So Beautiful last year. The Program is nothing like those books but it was amazing in its own way and I did not want to put it down. This review is going to be hard to write because I am just not sure if I will be able to find the right words to do it justice. Admittedly the concept will not be for everyone and may be a little hard to swallow for others. It is the type of read that will give you a spark of hope and take it away just as easily. 

     The world, the program and the people involved are done extremely well. Though it is clear that this is the future and is a dystopian of sorts, it has a not so distant feel. The teens of this future are dropping, there is something in the genetic makeup making them suicidal. No one seems to know what has caused this change but the government has come up with some fairly radical ways to correct it. Teens are monitored and if anyone feels that you have become "sick" you are packed up and sent away to be wiped clean. No memories seems to equal no sickness. Though it's a little drastic and more than terrifying this is what the world has become. Young has broken up the novel into three parts: Before the Program, The Program and After (Not the technical break names).

     Sloane is amazing and heartbreaking. She honestly brought all kinds of feelings up from within me and that was something I didn't expect. It was painfully obvious that this girl was grieving for many reasons or wanted to but because the government is watching she can't properly do that without being flagged. Sloane is the type of character that despite the strength she carries you know she will reach a breaking point. It was the moment that she reached that point that I truly connected with her and begged her myself to fight. I wanted more than anything for her to be different, for her to be the one that remembered and didn't forget the one she loved.

    The relationship thing is really hard to describe accurately without destroying some of the story for everyone. There are things I can tell you though. Like Young has done an outstanding job at creating believable relationships throughout the entire novel. The strongest and most stand out one are described in the first part. Sloane and James are actually one of my favourite book couples and for the simple fact that they aren't perfect and they need to fight for their relationship. Things aren't all rainbows and butterflies but it doesn't matter if the relationships is built or torn apart they stuck with me.

     It's hard to know just who you really should trust while reading and the ending did not do that feeling any justice. Admittedly as far as cliffhangers go I can actually handle this one but that doesn't mean that I was not left wondering. Though I would never claim this book is perfect or for everyone, I will tell you that I personally loved it. There were moments of frustration, hope and heartbreak and I have not a single doubt in my mind that it will continue into the sequel. If you enjoy dystopian reads and can handle the cold hard fact that the disease that is effecting the planet is teen suicide rates I would seriously recommend this well written read.

(4,5 stars)