Review for Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown 
Publisher: Little Brown (US)
Release: May 21st 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from Jasprit @ The Readers Den

Goodreads Summary: 

"Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't always tell the whole story."

Review 
Jennifer Brown is an author whose books have always sounded interesting to me but I’ve never actually took the plunge and read one. So when my blogger friend Jasprit offered to lend me her latest novel Thousand Words I jumped at the chance to finally check this author out.

Thousand Words covers the subject of teen sexting. Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship has been rocky all summer with Kaleb making plans to go off to college. With the pressure of Kaleb being away and surrounded by experienced college girls Ashleigh worries that they will grow apart. After being drunkenly encouraged by her friends Ashleigh snaps a naked picture of herself which she sends to Kaleb. For a while the photo seems to bring them closer together but when Kaleb goes to college the cracks in their relationship re-appear and after a nasty break-up Kaleb sends the picture to his friends. As well as being publicly humiliated it seems like everybody has something to say about the picture and have their own ideas on who Ashleigh is as a person. But whilst a picture speaks a thousand words it doesn’t tell the whole story or define who somebody is, and this is Ashleigh’s story behind the picture.

The book is told in a past and present narrative from Ashleigh’s point of view. Before, tells the story of that fateful day when Ashleigh takes the picture and follows how everything so disastrously fell apart. And the present day is Ashleigh serving her community service as she is prosecuted for child pornography for taking the picture of herself. I loved how this story was told and although I preferred the past chapters and seeing how everything went down I also enjoyed reading about Ashleigh picking herself back up again and claiming back her life and dignity in the present.

One of the things I found really refreshing about Thousand Words is the lack of a love story. A Young Adult book without a love story? You say. Yes. I was shocked too. So at the start there is Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship but ain’t nothing romantic about that boy! At times I wondered if a romance would blossom between Ashleigh and Mack – a guy she meets at community service who didn’t look at her picture – but Mack is just a friend who helps Ashleigh reclaim her life. I loved the lack of a romantic interest and appreciated this story of standing up for yourself and forgiveness instead, it was certainly something different!

Overall Thousand Words offers up something completely different in the YA Contemporary market and I was captivated by Ashleigh’s unique story and her journey to redemption. Jennifer Brown blurs the lines between victim and offender making Thousand Words a thought provoking novel that I really enjoyed. After reading this book I’m definitely eager to read more from this author!

April Round-Up and Book of the Month

April's Book of the Month is Soulmates by Holly Bourne 

So April was a bit of a mixed month reading wise for me with far too many 3 star average books for my liking. I wasn't having the best of months and then I picked up Soulmates and was completely captivated! Soulmates is a British Contemporary debut with a Sci-Fi twist and I absolutely loved it! I was lucky enough to read a very early proof copy so unfortunately this one isn't out until September but it is one you definitely want to pre-order or at least add to your wishlists. This book saved me from going into a massive reading slump and from this month being a totally rubbish reading month. If you're a fan of authors such as C.J. Skuse and Cat Clarke you will LOVE Holly Bourne's writing style. My review won't be up until closer to publication but I'd really recommend you all checking this one out on Goodreads to find out more!

 

*** There is kissing and crazy weather galore! ***

 Read in April 
30.) Dear Thing by Julie Cohen (2*)
31.) Fractured by Teri Terry (4.5*)
32.) Radiant by Cynthia Hand (3*)
33.) Boundless by Cynthia Hand (4*)
34.) The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (3*)
35.) This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (3.5*)
36.) The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (4*)
37.) Soulmates by Holly Bourne (5*)
38.) The Prince by Kiera Cass (3*)
39.) What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan (3*) 

April Book Awards
Best Plot: Fractured by Teri Terry
Best Writing: Soulmates by Holly Bourne
Best Cover: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Best Characters: What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
Best Ending: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Best Romance: Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Most un-put-down-able: Soulmates by Holly Bourne
Most Memorable: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Best Moral: Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Soulmates, Fractured, Boundless

Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading/Being Released in May
French Kiss: Diary of a Crush by Sarra Manning
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements 
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

 May looks like it's going to be a fantastic month for books! How was your month in reading? Did you read any of the books I’ve read? What are you looking forward to reading in May?

Letterbox Love (25) Books From The Past Two Weeks!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

So last week I only received three books and I really wanted to do a vlog for you guys so I decided to hold off and group them together with this weeks books and this week I received a LOT of books so this vlog is kind of lengthy! I had a lot of footage and had to edit a lot of it out so the haul is choppy in places. I’m not the best at editing and am still learning so although this isn’t the best vlog ever I hope you enjoy watching it anyway, I got some really exciting books over the past two weeks!

   

 For Review 

Soulmates by Holly Bourne (Proof Copy) 

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher 

 Diary of a Crush: French Kiss by Sarra Manning 

 Stung by Bethany Wiggins 

The Drowning by Rachel Ward 

 Delicate by Steph Campbell 

Grounding Quinn by Steph Campbell 

Because of Low by Abbi Glines (Signed) 

While it Lasts by Abbi Glines (Signed) 

Just for Now by Abbi Glines (Signed) 

 Borrowed 

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown 

 Thank you, Jasprit! Check out Jasprit and Rachel's blog here. 

 Bought 

Poison by Sarah Pinborough 

 If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin - check out Jasprit's review here! 

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting 

The Program by Suzanne Young 

 On My Kindle  

Netgalley 

The Elite by Kiera Cass 

 After Eden by Helen Douglas 

The Humans by Matt Haig 

 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 

Bought 

What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan 

If any of these books have caught your eye and you’d like to find out more about them simply click on the title and the link will take you to Goodreads for a full synopsis, reviews, and to add them to your wishlists. As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you’re looking forward to a certain book in particular and want to request a review feel free to in the comments and I’ll do my best to get around to the book sooner rather than later. And if you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^

 Happy reading till next time!

Review for This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith 
Publisher: Headline
Release: 4th April 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Received in exchange for an honest review from the publishers



Review 
This is What Happy Looks Like follows the story of Ellie and Graham. For months they have been anonymously corresponding over email after Graham accidently sends Ellie an email about the welfare of his pet pig, Wilbur. Not knowing each other’s identity allows these two teens with secrets to open up to one another and so they form an unlikely friendship. But when Graham decides he wants to meet Ellie, and possibly take their friendship further, their easy natural relationship becomes strained when Graham is revealed to be the latest movie star heartthrob and Ellie is a girl with a past that she would do anything to keep out of the spotlight – even if it means losing Graham.

I was actually really surprised when I started reading this book. I expected it to be a teen version of the movie ‘You’ve Got Mail’ with the couple corresponding, falling for the online version, loathing the real life person, only to find out at the end that the two are one and the same. So I was surprised when things took a different turn and Ellie and Graham figured out who the other was pretty quickly. Instead their budding romance faces other obstacles. Most teenage girls dream of dating the latest teen Hollywood star but Ellie – who loves the Graham away from the camera- needs to keep their involvement hidden due to a buried family secret that can’t come out.

Graham and Ellie were two really great characters. Graham is a young rising star and is finding that the lifestyle of the rich and famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Graham was a really down to earth, funny, easy going guy and I could understand his attraction to Ellie - a girl who knows him and fell for him for who he is inside without the celebrity status. Ellie is a girl with a good head on her shoulders. It’s just her and her mom so money is always an issue so Ellie works hard towards a brighter future. Ellie was a really admirable, clever girl who I had a lot of respect for.

Unfortunately despite loving both characters separately the romance was very slow simmering in my opinion. There were some cute scenes like the hunt for a whoopie pie and their funny emails but for me that chemistry wasn’t there, I just couldn’t feel it. I think that’s probably down to the amount of time this couple spent apart and the emails (which I loved) fizzled out as the book went on. I LOVED their emails; they were actually my favourite thing about this book. I loved their conversations about Wilbur the pig and what their happy looks like. All the online chemistry was there but when they were face to face it felt like we lost some of that adorable banter. For a book like this the romance is key so I was disappointed that their chemistry fell flat.

Overall This is What Happy Looks Like was a really cute, fun, summery read. But unfortunately it lacked that sparkle that Smith’s debut ‘The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight’ had. Happy Looks Like is a sweet and satisfying read whilst it lasts but I can’t say there was anything about it that left a lasting impression.

 

Review for The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski 
Publisher: Self Published (has been picked up by Harper)
Release: 28th February 2013
Genre: New Adult, Mature YA, Romance
Source: Bought on my Kindle



Goodreads Summary:

"Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish. Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?"

Review 
The Edge of Never has recently been picked up for publishing in the UK and that news gave me the extra push I needed to see what all the fuss is about regarding this book. I’d heard nothing but great things about this New Adult sensation and I, like so many others, fell head over heels for this story of finding love where you least expect it.

Our leading lady Camryn hasn’t been interested in dating since her high school sweetheart was killed in a car accident. Now twenty, Camryn has closed herself off from love believing that she’ll never again find a love like her first. As well as the death of her boyfriend Camryn is dealing with her parents’ divorce and a brother in prison. Needless to say that Camryn has a lot to deal with and so when her best friends boyfriend comes on to her and she tries to tell her friend only to be held to blame it’s the final straw. With nothing left to lose Cam ups and leaves her mess of a life behind and hits the road- destination anywhere and this is where the story really begins.

Before reading this book I had no idea how much of this story was set on the road, I wish I knew this sooner because I absolutely love books about roadtrips! For a while the story is told purely from Camryn’s point of view but when she meets Andrew the book splits into an alternating narrative between the two which is another thing I wish I knew before reading because I adore dual narratives. I feel like if I knew these two things I’d have gotten around to this book a lot sooner!

Andrew completely stole the show in my opinion. I loved him from the moment we meet him and that love only grew as the book went on. Andrew is on a journey to visit his dying father for the last time an idea which he is really struggling with and so beautiful mysterious Camryn becomes the ideal distraction as he travels with her. With the majority of this book featuring only two characters on a bus or in a car they needed to be two really strong personalities to carry the plot along and I definitely got that with Andrew and Camryn!

This couple and the chemistry and romance between them – I can’t even. They are one of the most perfect book couples I’ve come across in a long time. They had cute adorable moments where they’d goof around and tease one another, loving tender moments where they’d open up and talk about their hopes and dreams, and they had pure sexual tension that practically sizzled off the pages. I loved how they brought out the best in each other and lived every day to the fullest.

The Edge of Never was certainly not a perfect book, it could have done with some editing and the ending, although shocking, was ever so slightly cheesy. But to be honest it got to the point where I really didn’t care because I was so engrossed in Andrew and Camryn’s story. The Edge of Never is up there as one of my favourite New Adult novels and I’m already dying to get my hands on the sequel!