Number of Pgs.: 240

Publication date: May 21, 2013

Publisher: Viking Juvenile 

Genre: YA, Contemporary

How I got the copy: Won from April

Rating:  2 Stars
  

From Goodreads:

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

Plot: 3/10

Characters: 3/10

Setting: 4/10

Pacing: 3/10

Style: 1/10

Cover:  I loved this cover right away.  The beach, the way he's lifting her up, the bright green, the font, etc. It's such a beautiful cover.

14+50=64 (2 Stars)

    The cover of this book is so misleading it made me kind of mad.  Since the summary was kind of vague I was expecting an epic summer romance between two strangers based on the cover models.  What I got was something completely and unsatisfyingly different.  It was like Harry expecting a butter beer flavored Bertie Botts every flavored bean and getting earwax instead.  So what was so bleh about it?

     There is insta-love.  The kind where the characters lock eyes and declare that they will love that person as long as they both shall live.  This drives me nuts.  And while I expected a romance, I didn't want it to be that quick.  

      The characters are also whiny.  Seth is pretty emo and it was hard to find that attractive.  He's constantly in distress over a girl.  He doesn't eat, sleep, shower, etc.  Skye is passive aggressive with her friends and family.  She is constantly whining that Seth doesn't understand her, yet she's convinced he's the one.  Her friends are reallllly annoying too.  Basically, there wasn't a single character in this book that I could connect with or enjoy.  I love reading YA, but I think this may be one of those few cases where being six years older than the characters hindered my reading experience.  Their petty fights and minuscule problems were hard for me to care about.  

     Lastly, I felt like the writing was really simple and the plot was all over the place.  It was a lot of telling and hardly any showing.  Here's an example, 

"The four of us are going to Diner on the Square for dinner.  Karen, Astor, and I are all packed into our winter gear for the walk down to Center City.   Grant has on the same jacket he's worn since the fall.  He's not even wearing a hat." 

(This quote is from an ARC and may appear differently in a finished copy).  

    But you get the picture.  I wanted her to describe their walk.  What are they seeing, smelling, hearing?  Describe how they're cold instead of telling me they're wearing jackets.  And the plot skips around a lot with random scenes like this and it all felt very choppy.  I feel mean writing that last paragraph, but I don't want to lie.  The writing didn't work for me.     

Suz from A Soul Unsung: 5 Stars Gabrielle from The Young Folks: 3.5 Stars

Number of Pgs.: 400

Publication date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery

How I got the copy: Won from April

Rating:  3 Stars
  

From Goodreads:

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:
1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.
Things that actually happen:
1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Plot: 3/10

Characters: 3/10

Setting: 6/10

Pacing: 7/10

Style: 8/10

Cover:  The orange stands out among all those blue, black, and white covers that seem to be gracing the shelves these days.  I like that the girls hair has fluidity and seems wild...like the title suggests.

27+50=77 (3 Stars)

    In the notes that I took while reading the first few chapters, I actually wrote "Wtf did I just get myself into?".  I think that pretty much sums up my experience with this book.  I was thoroughly confused by the main character, yet highly entertained and intrigued at what she'd do next.  The underlying mystery of how her sister died and then what Skunk was hiding kept me turning pages.  And author takes her time revealing pieces to the puzzle so that your curiosity is killing you by the time you find out.

     But I just couldn't get past my dislike for the main character.  She has no self-preservation at all.  And what's worse is what happens is not realistic.  She goes to the ghetto to a hotel and trusts random strangers, at night, and didn't tell anyone where she was going.  And yet she manages not to get raped and chopped up into pieces and thrown into a ditch.  I understood she needed answers about her sister's death, but it just seemed so unrealistic and out of character for her since the beginning of the book she's little miss perfect.  I also get that the truth "wakes her up" and she kind of loses her mind from being lied to for so long.   It did make for an entertaining book, but personally it didn't work for me.

     What I did enjoy was the character Skunk.  He was like a big teddy bear, or a love bison as I think Kiri refers to him.  He's quirky and kind.  I'd never read another character like him before--especially not a love interest.  I also liked the author's writing style.  I think this is what kept me from DNFing the book the most.  Her writing is so descriptive and flows so poetically.  She uses a lot of similes which helped me become part of the story instead of just being an observer.  However, there was a simile every other sentence it seemed.  It got a bit excessive after awhile.  I was reading an ARC though so maybe the final copy was different.  

      If you can get past all the cray cray, the writing is worth it.  It was hands down the weirdest book I have ever read, but it was somehow captivating, entertaining, and interesting.