Review: Dangerous Girls

Anna and her friends are celebrating Spring Break in Aruba and having the time of their lives.

Then everything changes: an intense, out of control vacation turns deadly.

Elise hasn't been answering her phone. They're worried about her. Finally they break into her room - and discover Elise lying in a pool of blood- murdered.

The house hasn't been vandalized, except for the balcony door.

Anna's friends have alibis. Her alibi is her boyfriend Tate. The police question them - hard. It's revealed that they weren't together the entire afternoon.

Now Anna's on trial for murder. She had no idea how this happened, but she's fighting for her life. 

My Thoughts: I read this book weeks ago, devouring it in one sitting and I'm still thinking about it. I like the set-up of the book - the timeline and how it goes back and forth from the time Anna and Elise met throughout the trial. I liked learning about their friendship. I loved trying to uncover what really happened that afternoon.  That ending - slammed into me and made me think. A perfect ripped from the headlines book that teens will gobble up - just like I did.

Cover Thoughts: I like it!
Source: my Library.

Review: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood

 *Comes out April 9th*

Hallie and Grace have just had their world turned upside down - again. Their father died, after he left them for another woman. When he remarried and had a new baby, he tore up his old will and didn't get around to making a new one.

Now, everything his current wife inherits everything. There are no funds for college and their house now belongs to their stepmother. She's giving them two weeks to vacate the premises.

Hallie, the eldest, is devastated. Grace, the practical one, attempts to fit the pieces of their lives back together. When a distant relative offers up a guest cottage, the sisters find themselves moving to Beverly Hills.

Hallie can't believe her good fortune. She falls in love with a musician, finds a set of friends, and hopes to break into the acting world. Grace meets a friend in high school while secretly pining away for Theo. Even though he's connected to her stepmother, she thought they might have had a moment - before she ruined it.  Can the two sisters make the most of their new home?

My Thoughts: It it's truth universally known that I'm addicted to Jane Austen inspired novels. As a result, I couldn't wait to read this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Luckily, a copy found it's way to me, thanks to the author and the publisher and to twitter.

While McDonald as updated and modernized the story, it's the same fantastic story of two sisters learning to live after the death of their father. There are differences, for example the sisters are been switched in ages. They still have a stormy relationship. I love their exchanges as they're pure sisters. They fight but their loyal to each other. I love the new touches to the story. I love the Hollywood setting. I love the moment when Hallie stands up for herself in a bar. 

I think this book might do for Jane Austen books as Clueless did for me - give new readers an introduction to her world. For those who aren't looking for a Jane Austen read, I think the cover and then the story will draw them in - it's a fun, romantic, drama filled read!

Cover Thoughts: Love it! I'm guessing this is Grace and Parker (The sisters' mother is black and their father was white)
Source: ARC from the Publisher

Author Interview: Abby McDonald

I just finished the awesome Getting Over Garrett Delaney. You can check out my review here. Luckily Abby agreed to join us for an interview today!

Thanks Abby and Welcome to YA Book Nerd!

What made you choose to write YA? 

I started out in adult contemp (aka, ‘chick-lit’), but YA had always been such a huge part of my life that making the transition seemed natural. As a tween and teen, I devoured all the old-school juvenile books: Sweet Valley, BSC, Caroline B. Cooney, even those old Sweet Dreams teen romances (remember, with the stock photography on the cover and teen DJ-slash-equestrienne-slash-tennis player plot-lines? Loved them!). Ultimately, my adult books are really just coming of age stories too, albeit with older characters and more ‘adult’ moments. I feel like discovering your identity is as important and relatable a plotline at twenty-seven as it is as seventeen.

I LOVED those books too and devoured them in my teens years.

Where do you write best?

I’m a coffee-shop writer, and I’ve built up a rotating stable of hang-outs here in LA so I don’t go too stir-crazy staring at the same walls all week. Still, I’m still hunting for my platonic ideal: the perfect mix of comfy couches, light, great baked goods, decent music and welcoming baristas. It eludes me!

How do you get your ideas?  Do you use real events in your novels and if so, can you describe one?

I draw a lot on personal experience for my writing, I think it’s the best way to ground characters in relatable moments and have real moments of emotional connection with readers. For GETTING OVER GARRETT DELANEY, I based a lot of the Sadie/Garrett dynamic on an unrequited crush I had when I was sixteen – amplified for dramatic effect, of course! It seems to have really struck a chord: I have so many people saying how they went through the exact same thing.

How did you come up with your title(s)?

I’m either terrible or brilliant with my titles – there’s nothing in between. If I don’t know the title even before I start writing, I never will, and have to delegate to my marvelous agent and editor. GETTING OVER GARRETT DELANEY was easy – in fact, I named Garrett because I needed a ‘G’ name to match the ‘getting over’ part!

Can you tell us a little bit about Garrett Delaney? Would you ever date a guy like him?

Oh boy, not anymore! I feel like Garrett is the boy you can only adore when you haven’t quite figured out who you are yet. His intellect and obscure taste seem impressive, exotic even, compared to all the boring boys your own age, and the fact this older, cooler boy values your opinion…? It’s catnip for crushes, I swear. But, when you get older, you start figuring out that maybe his rants about ‘trashy rom-coms’ are kind of elitist, and all those philosophical musings are… pretentious? Self-important? All of the above.

I feel like a Garrett crush is like chicken-pox: you get it once, and then you’re immune.

You used to work in the music and entertainment industry. Do you have any funny stories from that job that you can share with us?

Oh man…. I found some of my old Dictaphone tapes from my music writing years recently. Hint: never, ever, listen to yourself on tape. There’s twenty whole minutes of me giggling and stuttering away like a crazy girl during my first ever big interview – with Maroon 5, back when I was twenty. I thought I was being so cool and collected during the session, (because sure, I’d hung out backstage with major rock bands, plying me with champagne before. All the time!), but listening to it back… Oy! Aside from that, the weirdest interview I ever did was with Marilyn Manson, who had just split with Dita von Tees, and was adamant that his personal life was off the table. OK then. Except he then launched into a thirty minute monologue about why the relationship broke down, and how he just wanted a love he’d drive off a cliff for. Because True Romance is such a healthy model for relationships. Let me tell you, transcribing that interview nearly broke me!

I get that way with authors!

What did you do on your release day?

What I always do: go to B&N, take photos, sign books, and then lurk to see if anyone picks it up. In a non-creepy way, of course.

 
What was the last book you’ve read that you’ve been recommending to everyone?

It’s actually an adult title: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. It’s a gorgeous story of cookery, life, and loss, and she has such a wonderful voice. For YA, there are a couple of books I WANT to read that I’m trying to beg/borrow/steal the ARCs to: Struck, by Jennifer Bosworth, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

 

Do you have a fictional crush?

I think it has to be Matteo Sandoval from Love Walked In/Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos.

Do you have a favorite library experience?

Since I was such a book-worm kid (or, as my library file termed me, a ‘high-frequency user’) I was in my local branch ALL THE TIME. It was pretty much the proudest moment of my life when my mom got to go in to reserve a book that I had written.

Awesome! I love that idea :)  

Are there any authors you’d love to meet?

Caroline B. Cooney, who is one of my biggest inspirations. I still have the reply she sent to my thirteen-year old self’s fan letter.

Oh, that's sweet!

Do you have a favorite literary quote?

Not an over-arching philosophy, but writing Garrett’s tedious love of all things authentic in GETTING OVER GARRETT DELANEY, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a line from Emma Forrest’s wonderful Namedropper: “I don't see what's so good about being genuine. Clog dancing is genuine. Isn't being fake more of an achievement” It’s what I’d like to say to all those people banging on about authenticity – in music, art, etc. I’m all about genuine emotion, but there’s something to be said for well-crafted artifice too.

Listing of your favorites:
Candy: I don’t really eat candy. I know! 
Cake/Cupcake Flavor: coconut. 
Ice Cream: pistachio 
Pizza topping: sadly, cheese gives me migraines. 
Genre of books: YA 
Restaurant: There’s a cute little pie shop in LA called SimpleThings. 
TV show /Movie: Right now, Revenge, the Vampire Diaries, The Good Wife. And overall… Bring it On, Before Sunset, Strictly Ballroom. 
Color: Purple 
Shoe Towering red wedges I can barely wear. 
Video Game Never play!

Intrigued? Read the first chapter of Getting Over Garrett Delaney. I was hooked and I hope you will be too! Enjoy

Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney

Sadie's in love with her best friend Garrett - and has been since they met two years ago. Now she's facing the idea of summer without him. It was supposed to be the summer he fell in love with her while they were at writing camp. Instead, she was rejected from the camp.

She bullies her way into a job at her favorite coffeehouse.  After a complete meltdown after answering one of Garrett's phone calls, she realizes that things have to change.

Sadie comes up with a plan to get over him for good. She's starts by purging her life of items from their past. She eventually discovers that she needs to find herself

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. 
I hated Garrett. He was so annoying in the beginning and horrible when he came back from camp. I wanted to smack him. 

The strong connections with the characters (either good or bad) really make the book come alive. I feel like I'm in the story, rooting for Sadie (especially when she's on the floor of the coffeehouse after her mini-meltdown.) Those connections are what makes reading for me. 
 I loved the coffeehouse and the employees there. I loved how Sadie reconnected with Kayla. I love how she explored fashion, pop culture fads, current movies, and sporting events to uncover her true feelings.



Cover Thoughts: I LOVE it. I love the book over her face and the general frustration/agony felt. 

Source: Netgalley


Random Thought: I think the cover looks like a Sarah Dessen novel and I think it's a perfect book to hand readers who love Sarah Dessen. It reminded me SO much of Truth About Forever (which is my favorite SD book)


Stay Tuned tomorrow for an interview with Abby McDonald!

Review: Anti-Prom

While Prom is the dream of many high school students, for three girls it becomes the worst night of their lives.

Bliss finds her boyfriend and her best friend making out in the limo. She can’t bear to go back into the prom and pretend that everything’s fine. She wants revenge.

Jolene isn’t the type of girl who goes to prom, but she’s here against her will. She’s wearing a pink dress with ruffles and she’s hating every minute of it. When Bliss breaks down and asks for her help, she thinks there might be a way to save the night after all. Plus she might find a way to get back at her father.

As the two girl stumble into the night, they come across Meg driving away from the prom. Meg doesn’t have a date or any friends waiting for her. Her Mom would have wanted her to have this experience, so she came. She can’t bring herself to go into the dance.

When their paths cross, Meg reluctantly helps the two girls. Although the three of them would never have been caught dead hanging out, for one night, they might break the social cliques of high school and become friends.

One thing is for certain, it will be a prom night to remember.

My Thoughts: Abby McDonald has a knack for taking ordinary life and creating engrossing reads full of drama, friendships, and a little romance. The Anti-Prom takes a hard look at high school cliques, questioning their significance and their worth.

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: reviewed for www.teensreadtoo.com

Sophomore Switch

Tasha and Emily couldn’t be more different, but each wants to escape their social nightmares. Tasha needs to hide out from the tabloid drama and Emily needs to nurse her broken heart. They swap lives: Natasha heads to Oxford and Emily heads to UC Santa Barbara.
The only problem – they’ve each already signed up for classes. So Natasha’s stuck taking feminist courses and Emily’s stuck learning about film. Neither of them fit in, until they lean on each other for a bit of advice. Both girls start to dress more appropriately, Natasha with preppy clothes and Emily with fewer layers. Slowly, things start to turn around for both girls.

Natasha embraces her classes and becomes determined to change people’s mind about her. She joins in the rally to save the Women’s Health Center. Emily learns how to relax and let go of her control freakiness.

Is the new found happiness about to come crashing down when their responsibilities resurface?

SOPHOMORE SWITCH is a great novel on several levels. It's a great tale of two girls switching lives and broadening their horizons and examining the question of feminism. The story especially delves deeply into the topic of what makes a feminist - can a girl have fun and still desire equality for women?

This book was reviewed for teensreadtoo.com where it achieved:

Plus, here's a book trailer too! Take a look: