Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

Rating:

Characters: 19/20

Plot: 18/20

Originality: 20/20

Writing: 19/20

Recommendation: 19/20

Overall: 95/100 or A

Source: Publisher

When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you’re connecting with eternal things. Paying homage to something or someone. But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin.

In life. In death.

Telemachus. Since the death of his brother, Jonathan’s been losing his grip on reality. Last year’s Best Young Poet and gifted guitarist is now Taft High School’s resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. He's on track to repeat eleventh grade, but his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of Thicks (who refuse to be seniors without him) won’t sit back and let him fail.

Jonathan's voice was very compelling. His voice and actions seemed to be very alienating and distant. This really helped me to understand his actions and relationships with his family and friends. It also show why he missed his brother and how much he really meant to him. The Thicks, his best friends, were really interesting and also brought depth to Jonathan. I also understood his hatred of sleeping, after losing someone and also his self doubt. I loved David, he had such an an amazing story and I admired him. The plot was remarkable. Each action was interesting. I also liked that a lot of the scenery was in Seattle, which is my home away from home. It was such an amazing tribute to the Seattle music scene with the amazing Eddie Veddor in the mix. Wesselhoeft is a stunning writer. Adios, Nirvana was a great story about finding yourself in music and in the world around you.

Waiting on Wednesday (78)

Title: A Need So Beautiful
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Harperteen
Date: June 21, 2011
In which a 17-year-old discovers that by performing the good deeds that her body compels her to, she will disappear into the light and be Forgotten, but by fighting “the Need,” her fate could be even more dire.
I love the cover so much and the concept just sounds so amazing. Suzanne Young is possibly the sweetest person that I have ever met and The Naughty List was a fabulous book. I am so excited for this book!

Trailer Tuesday (19)

This book looks epic! I love Flappers and the 1920's. I really want this book.

800th post

Omg, I can't believe that this is my 800th post.
I am rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerers' Stone again and it is more epic then I remember. I will leave you with this video....

I tried to find a Neville and Luna one, but no good ones. =(
So, who did you ship the most in Harry Potter? Or are you like me and pleasantly in denial.

In My Mailbox (Week of November 7th)

For review:
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
A Touch Mortalby Leah Clifford
Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Her and Me and You by Lauren Starsnick.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Rating:
Characters: 17/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 18/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 89/100 or B
Source: Publisher
Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

This book was stunning. It is a book that I believe that everyone should read. Date rape is a subject that we are all aware of, but it seems to be overlooked a lot. Even though that it is one of the most common crimes on a college campus. Whitney doesn't make Alex's plight too preachy or ignored. It is perfectly balanced. Alex is easy to relate to and I loved her voice through out the book. I could feel the guilt and self hate that she was experiencing. Once in a while, she annoyed me a bit, but I still liked her. I had strong emotion about each of the character, some I wanted to hug and others I wanted to punch in the face . I found the plot to be very entertaining and I loved Themis Academy. The setting was easy to picture. I found it to be rather original. I haven't really seen anyone getting punished like in The Mockingbirds and I found it amazing. Whitney created such a strong and engaging book that I was happy to get lost. I recommend this book to fans on Speak. It has the similar message of speaking up for yourself and hoping for the best result. Overall, a very strong and stunning book.

Cover!

I am so excited for this cover. It is just amazing. I love Melissa Walker and her books. I was lucky enough to read this book early and it was just wow. Here is the summanary:
Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for him make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion. Does falling in love mean falling out of faith?

Split by Swati Avasthi

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 20/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 94/100 or A
Source: Publisher

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

Split is one of those books that gives you chills as you are reading it. Split focuses on the before and after of abuse, which I have never seen before. Jace's story horrified and captivated me at the same time. Jace was such a strong character and I felt so sad with each flashback that was revealed. I can't ever imagine a father doing that to his son and it broken my heart. The plot was very slow at the beginning, but it quickly gained momentum and became a fast and addicting read. Avasthi's debut was an emotional roller coaster. She created such strong emotional responses as you read this book. I highly recommend that you read this book as soon as possible. It was just so engaging and hopeful.

Waiting on Wednesday (77)

Title: The Lost Saint

Author: Bree Despain
Publisher: Egmont
Date: December 28th, 2010

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot—a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel is put in danger—in more ways than one. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her—not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

I loved the first book and want to read this one like now...

Books read in October 2010

115. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
116. Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales
117. Her and Me and You by Lauren Starsnick
118. Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson
119. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
120. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
121. Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
122. Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn
123. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
124. Violence 101 by Denis Wright
125. Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
126. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
127. Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Reviews posted from these books: 5 of these books so far, a few are planned to be posted later.
Books from Library: 0
Books for Review: 13
Books borrowed: 0
My Favorite: Fall For Anything or Invincible Summers. I love the plot and the characters.
My Least Favorite: Violence 101, I just couldn't connect to the characters.
Debut Authors '10: 43 read 7 books left