Posts Categorized: 2015

The Summer After You and Me

14 Apr, 2017 by Heather in 2015, YA fiction Leave a comment

The Summer After You and Me

by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on May 5, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
three-half-stars

Source: Bought
Buy the Book • Goodreads

Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it's not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.

Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?

I was really excited to read this one because I visited the New Jersey coastal towns after hurricane Sandy. Our roots are from the area, and when the author mentioned the small town in her story it made it all worth it. The descriptions of the town and venues give the book a local summer flavor. There were a few sketchy things for me as a reader, however.

-the relationship between Lucy and her friends as well as her brother Liam. It seems she was left alone quite a bit and her best friends and family pick the wrong side.

-the “F” word is thrown in and is out of place. The story could have been told without language

-Main interest Connor needs some more redeeming qualities besides being cute and charming. I found his character lacking

-The point of view switched too much form past to present for readers to really catch up and understand what happened between Connor and Lucy

The good?

-Lucy wants to be a marine biologist. She is smart, studies and is writing a thesis on marine animals. She’s down to earth and works hard

-Volunteer work is highlighted and encouraged

-The geography and scenery of New Jersey is woven in

-Not too heavy for a summer beach read that can be finished in one day.

Content: drinking, swearing

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer- Review

11 Jan, 2017 by Heather in 2015, andrea cremer, inventor's secret, steampunk Leave a comment

The Inventor's Secret

by Andrea Cremer
Series: Inventor's Secret #1
Published by Speak on July 14, 2015
Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
five-stars

Source: Library
Buy the Book • Goodreads

In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

Oh my Andrea Cremer! It’s been quite a few years since I read the Nightshade series, and I’d forgotten how much I love her writing. Wow. Incredibly rich world building, alternate history, steampunk, witty banter and perfect romance all rolled into book one of the Inventor’s Secret series. There is so much to praise, not sure where to begin. The characters are strong and varied, the history is rich and layered between many civilizations, the relationships are perfect. This is the best steampunk I’ve read, with a twist of the Revenants series a la Amy Plum.

Let’s talk about Jack and Charlotte! Their hate each other, fighting all the time turns into the best later scenes in the book. Jack’s brother Coe of the House of Winter is also in hot pursuit of the MC. These two are going to be trouble!

I am so excited to read book two, starting today. What took me so long?!

Content: one swear word, mature YA romance and tension. Recommend for older teens.

Andrea Cremer is a New York Times and international bestselling author. She spent her childhood daydreaming while roaming the forests and lakeshores of Northern Wisconsin. She now lives in Manhattan, but at heart she will always be a small-town girl.

Andrea has always loved writing and has never stopped writing, but it took a horse and a broken foot to prompt her to finally write the novel she’d always dreamed of writing. Prior to becoming a full-time novelist, Andrea resided in the academic world where she taught early modern history.

When she’s not writing, Andrea tries to master difficult yoga poses, wanders through Central Park, and hunts for new music to provide the soundtracks to her novels.