Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Kindle: 380 pages

Release date: September 5th 2012

Publisher: Antisocialite Press LLC
Goodreads Rating: 4.74

Goodreads Summary: I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk. 
 Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay. 
 All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. 
Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to. 
 The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances. 
 Please Note: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language.

At the end of reading this book, all I could think about is how I get the similar feeling after putting down my all-time favorite book a.k.a. On the Jellicoe Road. It’s not that their stories are alike. No, they’re totally different. What I’m talking about is the same looking-into-space reaction I had once I finished them. And that I guess is the closest to describe how I felt – and still feel – about The Sea of Tranquility. There were no precise words. I’m not even going to give the smallest description of the plot. I think the blurb is enough to do that job for you and beyond that would be a betrayal. Trust me, I looked for spoilers before and I am so glad I didn't find any. 

Katja Millay did a marvelous incredible fantastic amazing job with the writing for me it’s almost perfect. This is a richly detailed story with important themes and serious issues. It’s written in first person from Nastya and Josh’s point of view and reading their internal battles are like being inside their skin. I hurt, fell in love, learned to accept and healed with them. To top it off, it’s packed with a great variety of vivid characters I grew to love. Drew, Josh’s best friend, has a special place in my heart. 

It is a long book and I gobbled it up in more than a day. I admit I felt bored (I know right, WTH was wrong with me?) in the beginning and I was all for meeting the guy already. Thankfully I knew better soon enough and realized that the pacing was impeccable. The romance is slowly and perfectly developed. There’s no insta-love here people! And the mystery is so well laid out even the last words will take you by surprise. But before you think it’s too emo for your taste, let me tell you not to worry because it’s not all doom and gloom. There are banters and light moments here and there to balance out the sadness. 

The only thing I’m disappointed about is the lack of physical copies. I believe this is the kind of book every bookstore should have. Anyway, I hope that happens not too far-off in the future.

I’m torn between having too many more things to say and speechlessness so I better end this review before I resort to begging. Now please carry on and READ THIS.

ARC Review: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT by Debut Author Colleen Clayton

  Hello everyone! Today I'm proud to share to you one of the beautiful contemporary books I've read this year. It is a book from the debut author Colleen Clayton (who loves the words Violet and Oceania) and who does watch a large amount of televisions (you're not alone ;p). Below is my review of the book, which was given by lovely Karen <3 in exchange for an honest review and some of the links where you can find Ms. Clayton. Enjoy and don't forget to add it to your to-read list! :D

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

Hardcover: 320 pages

Release date: October 9th, 2012

Publisher: Poppy (Little Brown Books)

Goodreads Rating: 4.33

Goodreads Summary: How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

Barnes and Noble

What Happens Next is one of the lovely contemporary books to be released this 2012, and I’m proud to say that I’m one of the first readers to read it before its release day (Yay!). Now for the review…

I think the plot was great it was built perfectly with realistic account of the lives of a teenager. There are no boring patches I’ve seen throughout the story, but somehow I find the ending a bit over hurried but I don’t think it was that biggie. There is a sensitive content on the story and I don’t think it’s hidden from the readers (read the excerpt). It serve a useful purpose for me, it help me understand more the theme and the characters.

Cassidy and Corey were convincingly rounded as well as the minor characters her family and friends—Kirsten and Paige. They played each of their roles perfectly that help the story to become more interesting, with their combined good and bad qualities. I love mostly was Cassidy’s strength with all the struggles she faces through her friends, her dilemma whether to tell her secret to her family and with herself, emotionally and physically. And then there’s Corey (save the best for last :D)…he is an incredible, sweet guy but not being too cheesy and all girls will absolutely love him without a doubt. I love to thank Ms. Colleen for the words she put through Corey, it made him my no.1 if not one of the swoon worthy, to-follow guy everywhere not just by the looks but by his words. Sid and Corey had a beautiful chemistry; their attraction with each other was put up rightly with good explanation and timing.

All in all I love every single part of the book. From its plot, characters, through its concept—hope, hope that everything will be alright, that there’s always those people who’s on your side no matter what. It deserves all the praises it’s been receiving. Totally recommend it!

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 About the author:

 

COLLEEN CLAYTON

            Colleen Clayton grew up in a small, suburban town just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Kent State University, she worked as a social worker in residential treatment centers for troubled teens and as Program Supervisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley. She currently lives in Ohio with her family and recently received her MFA in fiction writing from the Northeast Ohio Consortium (NEOMFA). She teaches fiction writing and composition at Youngstown State University.

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Review: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover: 387 pages

Release date: January 3rd, 2012

Publisher: Fewel & Friends
Goodreads Rating: 4.08

Goodreads Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Being a huge fan of fairytales since I was little girl, I’m always skeptical about retellings. In my opinion they’re either a hit or miss. So since retellings have been a trend the past few years, I try as much as possible to choose which ones to read. Cinder went it to my must-read list the moment I read the synopsis. Cyborg Cinderella? Count me in!

Cinder turned out to be one of the coolest fairytale retellings I’ve ever read and one of my favorite debuts this year. The author created an original twist to the Cinderella concept and added a mixture of Dystopia, Sci-fi, and Paranormal elements in the story. To top it off, Marissa Meyer introduced us to a fascinating world and amazing characters.

Cinder is far from the damsel in distress that I thought she would be. She’s tough; she’s stands up for herself as much as she could, which is not so much because her stepmother owns her, she’s smart; she’s the best mechanic in the city! And she’s sarcastic and caring. If in the fairytale there’s an evil stepmother with her equally evil daughters, this book has only one evil sister while the other one is really kind and sweet. That compassionate one is Peony. I also love Cinder’s android Iko, who has a penchant for all things girly and is more human than the stepmother will ever be. Of course this won’t be complete without the Prince Charming. I totally adored Prince Kai and his determination! I loved how our two main characters meet and their relationship builds slowly throughout the entire story. The romance lacked development, which I can overlook since there are three more books in the series for progress. 

I love it when the twists and turns in the plot take my mind to the world inside the pages. My nose had been literally in this book when I was on the bus and in the jeepney to school. But if there’s one thing I can complain about, it’s the predictability of one major twist. I think I figured it out halfway through so the ending made a lesser impact than I would have liked. With that being said, I still highly enjoyed it. I’m now even more excited when I found out that the rest of the series will be based on other fairytales! How cool is that?! Cinder will still have the central role and hopefully we’ll see more of Prince Kai in the next books. 

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Hardcover: 395 pages

Release date: June 14th, 2012

Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers
Goodreads Rating: 4.18

Goodreads Summary: A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another. 


 “One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.” 
 The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? 
 A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Seventeen year-old Samantha Reed seem to have a perfect life from the outside. She lives in a beautiful house, her mom’s the state senator and her promising future is just waiting for her. Her family is the exact opposite of the chaotic, loud and affectionate enormous family next door: the Garrets. For ten years, Samantha has been secretly watching the Garrets from her balcony everyday—observing from afar and wondering what it’s like to be one of them. Until Jase Garret, the second eldest son in the family climbs up to her roof one evening and joins her. Soon, the two got closer, fell in love and Samantha became a part of the Garrets. But when one event forces her to choose between her family and the family she grew to love, where will her loyalties lie?

Just when I lost hope of finding a good debut YA contemporary book, My Life Next Door reviews show up on my Goodreads page and reader, begging for me to prove that it’s beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Seriously, that cover is STUNNING. I don’t consider myself a cover whore but I do admit to being attracted to high-rated books. This book has both so it only took me five minutes before finally deciding that I need a copy pronto.

Compelling and addictive are some words to describe this book. It has every reason why I love reading contemporary and after 50 pages, I knew I was undeniably inlove. It has the right amount of upbeat mood and it is the sugary sweet romance read I hoped it would be. Setting those aside, this book offers so much more. While being a great summer read that’s perfect for unwinding, it has the substance and lessons every book should have. It’s about being the person you want to be and choosing the right decisions, even if doing so would mean sacrificing some of the things you love. Most importantly I loved how Ms. Fitzpatrick deliver these points across without being preachy. And the characters? They are all AWESOME (with three exceptions of course). I adore Samantha because she never took things for granted. She works hard even though she doesn’t need to and her character is grounded in reality. And Jase *swoons*… Samantha’s mother has overlooked the fact that Jase is the type of boyfriend she would want her daughter to have—all because he is a part of a large and messy family. And lastly, I won’t forget the most remarkable character in this book: little George! All Garrets are cool, but this little guy just stole my heart from the beginning.

Huntley Fitzpatrick just wrote my favorite debut contemporary novel this year. It is well-written and enough to keep you glued to your seat the entire time. Now what I have to do next is hunt for a physical copy and add this to my favorites-shelf.

2012 Reading Challenges

Happy New Year everyone!! I've finally decided that I will participate in some of 2012's reading challenges. Knowing how I did in 2011, I have high hopes that I'll also do good this year. Right now there are two challenges I'm very excited to participate in. 

The first one is 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge Hosted by Evie from Bookish and nine other bloggers. The objective of this challenge is for you to read all the books that have been stacking on your TBR pile.


Levels:
1-10 - A Firm Handshake

11-20 - A Friendly Hug

21-30 - A Sweet Kiss

31-40 - Love At First Sight

41-50 - Married With Children

I'll start with the Friendly Hug first and see if I can level it up to A Sweet Kiss. Here's my tentative list of books:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

Far From the War by Jeffrey Payne

Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Linger and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

For more details about the challenge, click HERE

The next one is 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. The objective of this is to read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 – January 31, 2013.

Here's my tentative list of debuts:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Halflings by Heather Burch

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

I still have slots to be filled out but as of the moment, these are the only debuts that caught my attention. I've also read Everneath and UtNS and loved them! I can't wait to read the others and discover more interesting debuts.