Review ~ ROCK ON, by Denise Vega

Ori Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest. Oh, and maybe finally working up the nerve to talk to a girl in person instead of just over e-mail. But when Del suddenly returns from college, he expects Ori to step back into his role of little brother, just when Ori is starting to come into his own. With his confidence wavering, will Ori be able to overcome his stage fright and lead the band to rock glory? Will the Band To Be Named Later ever get a real name? Will their best performances remain in the garage? Denise Vega's deft exploration of brothers, bands, friends, and crushes promises to have readers tuning in page after page, because among all the ups and downs of being a teen, one thing's for sure: We all just want to rock on. ~From GoodReads

"A Story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls, and a Brother

 (Not Necessarily in That Order)"

Few things things please me more than a story about a young band. When you add in the fact it's written from a guy's point-of-view, has an awesome cast of friends, a sweet, but halting love story, and a troubled family dynamic, well that's practically a siren song for a girl like me. I couldn't resist reading ROCK ON.

Ori Taylor is a musical prodigy, playing by ear since the age of seven. His band, a band with no name and no bassist, is comprised of his best friends and managed by another best friend, Alli. I loved these kids. They were cool, focused, had each other's backs, and had confidence (without being cocky) in their future success. I was relieved that there wasn't a rivalry amongst Ori, Nick, and Troy. Their only worries are deciding on a name, finding a bass player and beating out their Battle of the Bands competition. But when Jane shows up with her bassist cousin, Ori's world is truly about to be rocked.

It seems like Ori has it all, yes? His older brother, Del, thinks so, too. And he's not happy about that. Del was a high school star athlete, and he's lost it all. When he moves back home, he sees Ori moving into his territory, the guy all the girls are interested in. Del, no longer the protective older brother, is determined to make Ori as miserable as possible, taking everything Ori wants. Maybe even the girl.  Let me make my feelings for Del clear. I HATED HIM. I know, I know... He's hurt, and lost. Whatever. He was so freaking mean. I haven't been as angry at a character in forever. Sure, I've know characters who've done worse. I think my anger stems from the fact that Ori is just so stinking sweet. If he was my brother, I would have whaled on Del endlessly. (ask my brother, I'm capable.)

Besides the awesome, can't-stop-reading story, I also loved the format of the book. There are posts from the band's blog "Colorado Rocks", complete with comments from fans and haters. There are online articles from a local journalist, chronicling the band's journey. We also have texts and messages between the characters that help move the story along. The most poignant, though, were the "fast-forwards" and "rewinds", complete with icons, that show the slow change in Ori and Del's relationship. How they went from best buds to hostile strangers.

So yeah... as you can probably tell, I loved ROCK ON. It was such a fast read for me. I had to know what would happen with Ori and Del, Ori and Jane, would they win the Battle of the Bands? Vega wrote this book with such sweetness, charm, and the perfect amount of teen angst. ROCK ON is a book I will surely read over and over again.

 

Favorite Quote:

"And then I was gone, catapulted outside of myself, to that place the music took me so hard and fast I couldn't do anything but go along for the ride. I was teetering on the edge, at the top of the roller coaster, hovering for a second before crashing down, feeling the rush as I flew across the rails."  (pg14)

Published March 5th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers



You can purchase ROCK ON at:
Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble 



Source: Received for review from publisher.

Blog Tour ~ PRETTY AMY, by Lisa Burstein

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the PRETTY AMY Blog Tour! For my stop, I have a Q&A with author Lisa Burstein about terribly important things such as favorite comfort foods and television shows...You know, the things you're dying to know about!  And to finish it off, my review of PRETTY AMY. 

You can find the complete tour schedule at Lisa's website.

Q&A with Lisa Burstein

Andrea: Lisa, I know you are a tea seller. I grew up on instant tea (blasphemy!). Can you recommend a delicious tea for a newbie like me?

Lisa: Earl Grey is probably the best place to start :).

Andrea: I'm a foodie. What is your favorite comfort food?

Lisa: Mashed Potatoes. Sometimes I'll have a whole big bowl of them for dinner. Those are the nights my husband makes his own dinner. I say, "mashed potato bowl tonight" and he knows, I'm not cooking.

Andrea: Lol! This reminded me of Carol Kane in License to Drive!

Andrea: Favorite movie from teenage years? Favorite song?

Lisa: Breakfast Club, I was in LOVE with Judd Nelson(who wasn't?). I can't pick one song, but one of my favorite bands was Gun-N-Roses. Appetite for Destruction was my favorite album.

Andrea: I have officially declared you my "pop culture soulmate".

Andrea: What do you like to do to unwind?

Lisa: Read. Surprising right? ;)

Andrea: What tv show is a must-see in your home?

Lisa: Seinfeld, yes in re-runs. Shows on now, me and my husband never miss The Killing.

Andrea: Can you recommend a great book?

Lisa: A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is my ultimate favorite.

Andrea:Can you tell us a little more about the Pretty Amy Project?What inspired you to create it? Lisa: Basically I wanted to provide a safe place where teens who had read PRETTY AMY could share their feelings about the book and how they feel it relates to their lives and their experiences. I am asking them to tell me how they've felt like Amy. How they got over it. How they are getting over it. How they are embracing it. I am inviting them to tell anything they've been too afraid to tell before. I will be creating a blog to showcase the stories, teens can decide whether they want to be anonymous and or have their names listed. I am hoping it will let teen girls know they are not alone. That a lot of people feel what they feel: the desire to belong, to fit in, to have people who understand them. I was a lot like Amy. Just like her I had such a desire to belong, to fit in, to have people who understood me. I wanted that so badly and I guess I never felt like adults understood that. It was most of the reason I wrote PRETTY AMY. If I'd had it when I was in high school I feel like I would have been able to understand my feelings better. I wouldn't have felt so alone. That feeling was something I never admitted to anyone, not even my friends and I wanted to let teens know it's okay to feel lonely even surrounded by friends and family.

Andrea: I can't tell you how happy this project makes me!

**Thanks to Lisa Burstein for taking the time to answer my questions!**

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

 
"Unfortunately, I am only myself. I am only Amy Fleischman."(pg1)


Thus begins PRETTY AMY. Amy is lost. Amy is afraid to speak out. Amy is afraid of being lost in the crowd, so she does the only thing she knows to gain attention: She acts bad. She smokes, she drinks, she hangs out with fellow "bad girls" Cassie and Lila. What Amy doesn't realize, though, is that she's digging herself a hole. With each misdeed, with each burned bridge, she's going deeper and deeper. Until the night she, Cassie and Lila cross the line. Without the shadows of Lila and Cassie to hide behind, Amy is forced to face her bad decisions and decide whether the consequences are worth it.

Oh, to be a teenager again. The saying "Youth is wasted on the young" is painfully accurate. Teenagers have such potential. The world is sitting there, just waiting on them to venture into the unknown. But, that's looking at it with hindsight, with all the painful bits removed. Things like self-esteem, self-worth, fitting in, friends, frenemies; they all can be torturous to navigate. So to be put back into that frame of mind, a lost girl, was draining.

I'm fairly certain author Lisa Burstein has Jedi-Mind Skills. Never, in all my *cough* twenty-eight  years of reading have I ever felt quite so exposed. There were moments when Amy was internally pleading with someone to see her, the scared girl behind the facade, that I had to gently set the book down, take forty-five deep breaths, wipe the tears away, then dive back in. It's not necessary to be just like Amy to get her. I wasn't, on the outside, I was an excellent masker of emotions.  But deep down, I was so painfully lost that I could have easily spun out of control. The fact that Burstein was able to bring Amy and her feelings so firmly to life, and put me right back into her situation, is mind-boggling.

I also read this book from the perspective of a mother. I've vowed to myself to learn the lessons I found in PRETTY AMY. Don't be like Amy's mom and dad. It's actually very simple, if you think about it.
PARENTS: Don't rush into accusing, blaming, and punishing. ASK YOUR CHILD QUESTIONS. Ask them if there is something going on inside that makes them act out. Ask, ask, ask. Then hug. Let them know you are there, no matter what.

Although PRETTY AMY was heavier than I originally thought, there were many laughs. Amy's internal dialogue had me smiling. Her observations: on her parents, her therapist, her coworker, her neighbor, her friends were wry and painfully accurate. Her friends, Cassie and Lila, were not in the story as much as I expected. And that was great as far as Lila goes, because that girl was so self-absorbed. I had a friend like Lila and just, ugh. Cassie on the other hand was a riot. I loved that girl and wish she had more book time. But...I hear Cassie's getting her own book! That's a total win. I can't wait to read an entire book from her point-of -view.

 I wish I had PRETTY AMY when I was seventeen years old. I would like to think that I would have read it, and learned something through Amy instead of, well, drinking and smoking and hanging out with bad boys. Maybe this book would have shown me I had worth, besides being the girl who was popular but could still party like a rock star. The best I can do now is pass the story on to my own daughter someday, and a girl I know, right now, who could use some PRETTY AMY.


Favorite Quote:

"I probably should have been scared to smoke that much, but I needed to be annihilated. I had to forget tomorrow, when I would wake in one of three hotel rooms we'd rented, alone in that big bed, my dress crumpled up on the floor like a discarded attempt at a love letter." (pg. 16)

"They would fill me up with their secrets. They would make me feel like my silence was a choice. Like being left over was a choice."  (pg. 228)


Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by Entangled Publishing


You can purchase PRETTY AMY at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository


Source: Received from publisher for review.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero. ~From GoodReads

Why I'm Waiting ~ I think it's interesting that these books, of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are starting to come out. It reminds me of the stories from my parents' generation of returning Vietnam veterans. Also...it's a love story.


Expected publication: June 19th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Review ~ THOUGHTLESS, by Jacqueline Gardner

When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes. But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn’t seem so bad.

THOUGHTLESS is the story of Bridget, a seemingly normal high school student with a big secret, she can hear the thoughts of others. Bridget is often overwhelmed and spends much of her life avoiding others, trying to save her sanity. The only one who know her secret is her mom. But when Bridget finds the body of a cheerleader in a supply closet, her secret is no longer safe. The killer has targeted Bridget and her new friend Rory. Oh and her new boyfriend, Terrence? He's the only person whose thoughts Bridget can't hear. Coincidence? You decide.

So, I liked THOUGHTLESS. The story starts off with a dramatic incident, murder, and keeps a quick pace throughout. I'm a sucker for books with teen murder mysteries. The main character, Bridget, is a sweet, relatable character. Except for the whole "hearing thoughts" thing she has going on. She's a tenacious girl, with trying to find the killer, but I didn't find her running into danger as annoying as in a lot of the books I've read. I also liked her friend and cohort, Rory. He was the voice of reason for Bridget, and a genuinely good guy.

As for Bridget's "boyfriend' Terrence? I didn't get that. He's the school hottie. Terrence is handsome, charming, and British. But his character felt so flat, for me, that I didn't see the appeal. Their relationship wasn't insta-love, thank goodness. But to have a few half-dates and some awkward moments and call it a relationship felt like a bit of a stretch.

The background of Bridget's abilities is explored.  I was happy with what is revealed The lore is completely cool and nothing that I expected. And the author did a great job of setting the story up for a second book.

If you enjoy a paranormal young adult story that's a quick, easy read, THOUGHTLESS may be perfect for you.

Favorite Quote:

"I finallly turned my head and witnessed a long line of policemen. They were watching a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. A white sheet covered the body and all I could see were white cheerleading sneakers." (ebook, 5%)

Published February 28th 2012

You can purchase THOUGHTLESS at:
Amazon (only $0.99)  |  Smashwords (Free!)



Source: Received from author for review.

TEASER TUESDAY

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

My Teaser ~

"At sixteen, I was booked an appointement with my mother's gynecologist, my great-uncle, Saul. It was very messed up that my mother saw my father's uncle as her gynecologist, but it was even more messed up that at every family holiday I had to sit at that long table and watch him eat with the same hands he would have all over my uterus."  (pg 98)


I loved this book. My review will be up on Thursday!

Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by Entangled Publishing


You can purchase PRETTY AMY at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository


Source: Received from publisher for review.

Guest Post ~ HOW I GOT MY START from Avery Olive

Welcome! Today I have author Avery Olive here with a guest post about her start in becoming an author. Avery is the author of A STIFF KISS, a young adult paranormal story published by Crescent Moon Press.

Here's Avery!

HOW I GOT MY START

I’d always been one with words. At an early age I started writing poetry, filled books and books with words that rhymed. It was also an outlet, a way to share my feels, or at least acknowledge them. Perhaps no so much literally share them with other people.

But I really got my start only a few short years ago. I was on a little vacation, having flown several hours to visit a friend, kick back for a week and catch up—she was mean and moved away from me. However, people tend to do silly things in the company of others. I’d been landed not more than a few hours; we were watching her daughters jump on a trampoline and well... I have a big mouth. Back in the day I was awesome at the trampoline and could do flips! So, I said, hey, I can do a flip!
                                                             
 When you say something like that it requires a demonstration. Needless to say, after years of not being on a trampoline—my flip, which at the time I landed didn’t end so well. Though I never heard a crack, never felt any shooting pains and never thought anything was wrong—that is until a few hours later, after sitting around chit-chatting and chilling in the sun I went to get up.

And OMG I hadn’t realized my foot had swollen becoming a weird shade of slightly purple and it was painful. Like really painful. I hobbled around for two days before my friend insisted I go to the doctor. The swelling was getting worse, the pain in my foot when putting weight on it was excruciating—I had no choice, I couldn’t spend the rest of my trip laid up.

Now, of course I went to the first walk-in we could find. And I’m not saying that all doctors are bad, and perhaps not all doctors are created equal but this doctor told me I sprained my ankle, put some ice on it and within a few days it would get better. I didn’t. I spent the rest of my trip sitting in front of the TV, foot elevated, ice packs covering every inch of my foot, and popping pills like no bodies business. It sucked. I walked as little as possible, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was on vacation, and was supposed to be having fun.

When I got home I went to my doctor, right away they did X-rays, and as it turns out my little sprain was a big fat crack in my bone! Yup. I landed a flip—nearly flawlessly and yet, managed to somehow break, BREAK my leg!

Since I’d been walking around on my broken leg for well over a week I ended up being put on bed rest. No walking unless with the aid of crutches. No bearing weight, no taking of the cast off (I at least was lucky and got one of those air-casts instead of plaster) and doing nothing to put any extra strain on my already ruffed up leg.

So what does when do when they are immobilized? Read.

And boy did I read, a lot. I was devouring at least a book a day. I’d send Mr. Olive out to grab another book, promising to read this new one slower only I wouldn’t. He eventually got tired of my daily book requests and one day came home with an entire series of books. It didn’t take me long to work my way through those...

Then I thought, hey, instead of reading books why not write a book. It seemed like the cheaper solution. I was spending copious amounts of money, had numerous weeks before I was allowed to walk on my leg and I couldn’t go in the hole because of books.

And thus... my first novel was born. It would take me a couple more novels before I landed my publisher, but I almost owe the entire start of my career to my friend, Danielle. If she hadn’t made me do that flip, if I hadn’t broken my leg, and hadn’t had all the time in the world and an already over active imagination I might never have even tried to writing a novel.


Thank you, Avery, for that lovely post!

Who knew kissing a corpse would change everything? Death always hits Xylia Morana too close to home, but she likes it that way. She hangs out with the terminally ill, attends random funerals, and every so often, when the weather is right, she sleeps in open graves. But after Landon Phoenix, the high school hottie, dies in Xylia's arms, she sneaks into the morgue to say goodbye. How could she know stealing a kiss from his corpse would wake him up? With Landon returned to the living and suddenly interested in Xylia, life has new meaning. But what Xylia doesn't realize is that by kissing Landon back to life, she's thrown Life and Death off balance. The underworld demands a body, and it might just have to be Xylia's this time. ~From GoodReads

You can find Avery at:
her blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  | 

You can purchase A STIFF KISS at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

Blog Tour: STREAMLINE, by Jennifer Lane

Welcom to The Bookish Babe's stop on the STREAMLINE Blog Tour. This tour is hosted by the lovely ladies at AToMR Book Tours. You can find the complete schedule here.  My stop inclued a review of STREAMLINE and information about the giveaway hosted by the author.

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He’s captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother’s crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father’s abuse, battered and alone. Leo’s girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida’s top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there’s an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder. Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything’s on the line . . . streamline. ~From GoodReads

This review is so hard for me to write. To be honest, and this is a little embarrassing, I'm tearing up just thinking about it STREAMLINE. It has been enlightening and thought-provoking, to say the very least. So I'm not going to recap the synopsis. I'm not going to dissect the characters. I just want to touch on the impact of STREAMLINE.

The issues that are touched upon in the story: family, substance abuse, teen relationships, trust, honor...they were all dealt with in an amazingly realistic, unglossed manner. The thread of the story that impacted me most was that of domestic abuse. As the child of a child of abuse, my heart literally aches. The author's detail is unflinching. Not only does the story put abuse in the spotlight, but it also delves into the reasons the victim feels shame, responsiblity and sometimes can't walk away. I personally appreciate that that angle of abuse, the victim's, was delved into. Many times, when a situation becomes to painful, we look away. I couldn't look away and I appreciate that this story gave me so many insights into the mindset of the victim.

STREAMLINE is also a love story. A beautiful, sweet, and touching love story. Leo and his girlfriend, Audrey, are the kind of couple that I love to read about. They are a true match, a team. Their relationship is basically healthy, honest, and doesn't revolve around drama. They are quick to apologize and to forgive. Audrey and Leo are a couple that I'll hold close and won't soon forget.


Ultimately, STREAMLINE is a story of love and triumph. It's a story that could have tremendous impact on anyone, but especially a teen in a precarious situation. I would love to see available to every teen.To give those who are troubled hope and encouragement, to give those who encounter the troubled, empathy and understanding.  I intend to recommend it to as many people as possible.


Favorite Quote:

"The bleeding was swift and sharp. It left Leo dazed on the floor, bleeding from the lip and moaning. His head pounded with each beat of his heart. As he watched his father stalk away in disgust, Leo realized the irony of his dad teaching him not to be violent by beating the crap out of him." 
(ebook, 7%)

"Unencumbered by sopping clothing and unburdened of family worries, Leo felt what Audrey had tried to describe: liberated and uninhibited." (ebook, 59%)

Published March 27th 2012 by Omnific Publishing    

You can purchase STREAMLINE at:
Amazon  |  Book Depository  |  Barnes & Noble (Best Price!)


Source: A review copy was provided by publisher.

Author Jennifer Lane is giving one lucky winner a $20 giftcard of the winner's choosing (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) at her blog. Go here to enter.