Looking For Alaska by John Green

Miles has a strange obsession with last words, and so after reading Francois Reblais' last words ("I go to seek a Great Perhaps"), Miles sets off to find his own Great Perhaps, which for him is found at the Culver Creek Boarding School. Having to room with someone who smokes and drinks the same amount that he studies is a big change for Miles, as is having the beautiful and eccentric Alaska Young living down the hallway. Throughout his time at Culver Creek, Miles makes friends. Sure they might be strange but they're friends none the less. They play pranks, the likes of which the school has never seen before and throughout it all, he also starts to fall for Alaska which can only lead to difficulty as she is dealing with her own set of problems. Can Miles find his way through the "labyrinth of suffering" and discover his own Great Perhaps?

This book has dealt with some controversy on the subject matter in it. There is sex, drugs, alcohol, swearing, and smoking, and yet that really isn't the essence of the story. The real heart of the book lies in the coming of age of a young and insecure guy. It also focuses on Alaska and all the heartache, mystery, and "screwiness" that come with her. I think that Looking For Alaska was a positively marvelous book that wove a story of tragedy and love with frank and realistic writing. I've read John Green's other book, An Abundance of Katherines and I liked it a lot, but I also think that this book was much better. I think it had more depth and meaning in it that really helped you to relate to the characters and what they were going through. I loved the humor, the plot, the pranks, and all of the hidden meanings, and I think that this book is a must-read for any one. I must caution though, that it is only for mature readers. And I think that that is really all I can say about Looking For Alaska. It was compelling and creative and had a pretty much perfect ending. Just go read it now.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

When her boyfriend Jackson dies, Ava is torn apart. They loved each other so much and she knew that their connection was something that could never be matched. And so when he dies, and she knows that she had a part in it, Ava doesn't know what to do with herself. But when Jackson comes back to haunt Ava, all the tables are turned. Having a boyfriend that's a ghost has more difficulties than she ever imagined; and is it really the right thing to be attached to someone that no one else can see and who's keeping you from starting your life again? What Ava doesn't know is that Jackson is there to help her come to terms with what happened. He doesn't want her dwelling on the past, he wants her moving on and enjoying her life. But will he be able to convince Ava of that when they are not even able to communicate?

Having never read a novel that was written in verse before, I didn't know what to expect from this book. I, of course, had heard great things about it but I'm not really a person who likes things that are out of the ordinary. Surprisingly though, I did like this book. A lot. I was drawn in from the first page and I think that the verse form really helped to bring more expression and feeling to the book than the book would have otherwise had. The thing about verse though is that it's hard to get details in and I felt that the story was a little lacking in that department. I think it would have been nice to have been able to see more depth in the story. I'm fine with the length that it was though because it was a nice quick book that got wrapped up nicely and had a beautiful ending. It was pretty every thing I could expect. Oh, and the one thing that bugged me about the cover was that the guy's arm has this thick rope-like vein. And yes, I know that that sounds weird, but it just kind of stuck out at me and annoyed me to no end. :D I get bugged by the little things like that. It's kind of strange. Other than that, the book was really amazing and I will definitely be looking out for more verse novels now that I've dipped my toes into that genre. I liked it a lot and am ready to try more books like that. So I would recommend I Heart You, You Haunt Me wholeheartedly. It's a very nice, sweet book that will not fail to draw you in.

Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

Hayley hates living in California; the beaches, the bikinis, and all the pressure to fit in really dig in at her and she resents it. It's especially hard when you're a fat girl and you're having all of this scorn thrown in your face. That's why Hayley jumps at the chance to spend a summer in the Italian countryside; away from her harping mom, annoying little brother, and all the stupid drama of American life. While Hayley's there, she realizes that it's okay not to fit the form. It's all about being yourself and loving the skin your in and what better place to discover and enjoy all this than in beautiful, scenic, Italy? Add a cute boy who adores Hayley for who she really is and Hayley knows that this will definitely be a summer to remember.

Awww! This book was just too cute. I think I expected it to be a little more deep and meaningful than it was, but I think the light and fluffy style of the book was a nice change. I began out thinking that this book was going to be like The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things which I've reviewed on this blog and which really was a nice, deeper book addressing the same issue of obesity, but this book was more of a coming of age story. It tells how Hayley finds her place as a woman with curves. And I liked that we got to see that side of it and that Hayley learned that although it's not great to be super large, it's okay to be round and enjoy food. None of us are required to fit the stereotype thinness that's pushed on us by the media, but rather we should do what we think is best for our bodies and our lives. And I think that that message, along with the very cute plot line really helped this book tell its story. I liked it a lot. And with that being said, I do have a few complaints. I think that I would've have liked the story to have been a little bit longer and more detailed. I feel as if it all moved a little too fast and we didn't get to meet the characters and learn about them enough. Also, I didn't think that Enzo (the boy Hayley falls in love with) and Hayley's relationship was believable enough. It was all a bit brief and it just didn't have that special spark that makes you think; wow, that really is love. Also, I don't think that the cover fit the book at all. The whole book is set in scenic Italy and you can't guess that from the cover which kind of bugs me. Other than that though, Pretty Face was a nice, fluffy, and highly enjoyable read that has enough sustenance to pull readers in and keep them hooked for the entirety of the story. I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend it as a feel-good summer beach read.

Siobhan Vivian Interview

I was lucky enough to be able to interview Siobhan Vivian, the amazing author of A Little Friendly Advice. She was so sweet and fun to talk with and she even sent me super cute buttons that go along with the book! You can find my review of A Little Friendly Advice here. and you can find Siobhan's site here. Enjoy the interview!

(Aren't they adorable?)

What was your road to publication like?
It was pretty much a fairytale. I had been going to grad school at night to study Creative Writing. David Levithan was my thesis advisor, and I worked with him on A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE during my last semester in school. Once I graduated, he let me know that he would be interested in publishing the book. It all happened very fast.

Did you draw any of the moments in ALFA from your own teen years?
Yes, absolutely. ALFA is actually based on a little tiff that was going on with friends of mine during high school, where one friend went to questionable lengths to try and keep another girl from getting repeatedly heartbroken by a shady guy.

Which of your characters do you feel you relate to the most?
I think there’s a little of me in all the characters, but I guess I’d have to say Katherine. I have a tendency to act really tough, but it’s all to cover up my crazy insecurity issues.

Do you think you've found your niche in writing for YA or would you ever try writing in another genre?
I can’t really see myself writing anything else but YA. Those are just the kinds of stories and characters I am always drawn to.

What's your favorite thing about writing?
I love the feeling that comes from getting something right—be it a word, a snippet of dialog, a description. That feeling is totally euphoric.

Do you have any other passions besides writing?
I am obsessed with music, particularly bands from Sweden right now. Sweden has the most rocking bands with the cutest boys. I swear, I am going to move to Sweden one day and be a very happy girl.
I am also really into embroidery. I have this huge binder full of pretty colored string, and I love making little presents for my friends. Last Christmas, I embroidered a copy of David’s first book, BOY MEETS BOY, and had it framed. It was pretty bad ass.

What are some books that you'd recommend for teens?
My favorite book of all time is BLANKETS by Craig Thompson. It’s a graphic novel, it’s HUGE, but it is seriously so awesome. Other favorites of mine are GINGERBREAD by Rachel Cohn, PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky and I loved all the RABBIT novels by John Updike. I devoured those in college.

If you could spend one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Hmm…great question! I think I’d like to hang out with Shepard Fairey. He’s the artist who makes those OBEY ANDRE THE GIANT stencils that are everywhere. I’d love to spend a day running around and tagging up the city with him. Here’s a link to his site…such a cool guy.
http://obeygiant.com/

What was one of your funniest experiences as a teen?
Easy. My family was on vacation and had purchased some waterskiing lessons for my little sister. I already knew how to water ski and I was also completely in love with one of the boys who gave the lessons. So, this boy invites me to ride in the boat with him and as I went running down the dock, I tripped over a rope and slid like 10 feet on this really gross, dingy plastic green grass carpet. I ended up scraping both my knees and my chin and was bleeding all over myself. He tried really hard not to laugh at me, but his friends weren’t so kind.
Now that I think about it…that wasn’t so much funny as it was completely mortifying…but there you go!

What's up next for you?
Yay! I’m so glad you asked. I’m just finishing up my next book called SAME DIFFERENCE, It’s about a girl named Emily who struggles with having two different identities --- depending on whether she’s at home with her popular, suburban best friend she grew up with, or hanging out in a city with a super cool, wild new girl she befriends in a summer art class.

Anything else you want to add?
Yes. You look totally pretty today.

Why thank you! :P

And be sure to pick up a copy of A Little Friendly Advice! It really is a great book by a super cool author.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

When the soul called Wanderer gets inserted into a new human host on the planet Earth, she doesn't think anything out of the ordinary will happen. The way it usually goes with planets that the souls have over come is that they insert souls into the entire population of planet, making it a peaceful and regulated place to live. But on Earth, the newest acquired planet, that isn't the case. The hosts are now aware of what is happening and they are mentally fighting back which is something that Wanderer wasn't expecting when she was inserted into Melanie, her new human host. But now, Wanderer, besides having all of Melanie's old memories and emotions to deal with, now has Melanie kicking at her inside her own head. And things are bound to get difficult when Wanderer and Melanie run into a hidden group of wild humans, among which are living the two people that Melanie had loved most in the world. Will Wanderer and Melanie be able to survive the conflicts, not only of feelings and minds but of species also?

Yay! I was so relieved once I got into this book because I really didn't want to be let down by Stephenie Meyer. She had created such a great series with Twilight and I wanted this book to be just as good. And thankfully it was; it really surpassed all of my expectations. The book starts out fast and only gets faster as it takes you speeding through this science fiction whirlwind of an adventure. It had all the elements that a good book needed; skillfully crafted characters, a new and exciting plot concept, and concise and perfect writing that really sweeps you away. I think it was such a cool idea to have this be a sci-fi kind of book. I haven't read a lot of that genre and so I didn't really know what to expect, but now I'm thinking that I'll have to read more of it because I think the whole concept of souls and hosts and planets was incredibly neat. It took the story to a whole new level and you could tell that each aspect of Stephenie's world was carefully planned and thought out so that everything was wrapped up cleanly. And the characters were perfect. Stephenie knows how to create a character that seems believable and real. I definitely began to feel as if I knew the characters in the book and I especially loved reading about all their interactions with each other and the dynamics of their relationships. And the cool thing was, just when you thought you had the plot and the characters figured out, another twist got thrown in that would leave you wanting more and sitting on the edge of your seat to find out what happened next. I could not put this book down, which was excatly what I wanted and expected from The Host. Stephenie Meyer has created yet another thrilling and captivating world that will delight readers just as much as Twilight. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. Go read it now.

And you can read about my experience with The Host tour and book signing by scrolling down the page or clicking here.