Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

I'm so, so, so, late on this one. Elizabeth Scott deserves better. College + work = Tricia being a bad person. Anyway, here is a description of Elizabeth Scott's newest book, Between Here and Forever.

Abby accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.
Until the accident.
Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.
She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she'd never seen.
Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

Well, Elizabeth Scott never ceases to amaze me. Her books are ALWAYS so full, real, captivating and intense. Between Here and Forever was not an exception.
I was immediately immersed in Abby's world from the first chapter. I felt for Abby so much, because like her, I have an older sister. Everyone always loved my sister more than me. She was prettier, had better grades, did more things. So even though Abby was already a real character, I definitely had a soft spot for her.
And of course Eli. OhmygodEli. He just sounds so beautiful I almost can't take it! I love how Elizabeth makes him sound so beautiful, but then also pairs him with an irreversible flaw.
This book was heart wrenching and intense and so real. Elizabeth is not one to cut corners and change a story just to make it a frilly, happy book. She is real. This book is real. Abby is real. Between Here and Forever will keep you turning pages, grasping for more. You will definitely want to buy this one!

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Hello again! I've got a review of the amazing Jennifer Echols's new book, Love Story, for you guys! It doesn't come out until mid-July, but I was lucky enough to have scored an ARC to review! Here's the description:

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

Sounds completely awesome, right? Well, it was! Jennifer Echols never ceases to amaze me with her wonderful and sizzling chemistry between her two main characters. You feel as if you are in the story yourself, feeling what they feel. I told you guys how much I love, love, loved Going Too Far and Forget You, so you can guess that I was extremely excited to read her next romantic drama.
Erin and Hunter are two very real characters. Jennifer always develops her characters so well, making them feel like they're my real friends. Love Story adds a cool twist by sort of telling Erin and Hunter's past and feelings through stories they write for their Creative Writing class. Their stories add to the characters depths and ultimately shows you more of the character's soul.
I definitely had some laughs throughout this book, and like always, I was definitely on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened between Erin and Hunter. Their attraction, confusion, chemistry and even hatred for each other made the ride interesting, beautiful, and true. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves YA. Love Story is a perfect example of what YA is all about.
Happy Reading!

Susane Colasanti Blog Tour! Win a signed copy of So Much Closer

Hey everyone! I am so honored to be a part of Susane Colasanti's 2011 blog tour for So Much Closer. Today Susane stopped by for her last guest blog of the tour. Hope you enjoy! :)

Here is a description of So Much Closer, and a trailer!



Scott Abrams is the love of Brooke’s life. He just doesn’t know it yet. So when his family moves to New York City the summer before senior year, Brooke has no choice but to follow Scott. It’s her last chance to prove to him that they’re meant to be together.
But the city is full of surprises that Brooke never expected. Ever since a painful family trauma, she’s been closed off to her parents, to her friends, and even to herself. Now, inspired by the thrilling energy of the bustling and creative city around her, Brooke starts to explore her talents and become someone she never dreamed she’d be.
So what will she do when her biggest dream finally comes true . . . and instead, she wants something more?

Welcome, Susane!


Greetings, friendly neighbors! I’m stoked to share some of the inspiration for my fifth book, So Much Closer.

Realistic fiction is my thing. I like incorporating details inspired by my own experiences to make my books feel as realistic as possible. So Much Closer takes place in my neighborhood, the West Village. I had lots of fun including my fave New York City places and things in this book. For my blog tour, we thought it would be fun to share some of them with you. So here we go!

10. Look up

This last one isn’t a place or a thing, more of a philosophy. In So Much Closer, John encourages Brooke to look up. There are so many amazing things we miss because we don’t look up enough. Whenever I’m walking down the street with my friends, they’re always like, “Dude! That was Jon Stewart!” But I never see Jon. Okay, I saw him once – it took every bit of strength I could muster to not run after him. But I usually don’t see him or anyone else because I don’t look around enough. It’s freaking tragic.

When you look up in New York City, you discover this whole other level of awesome. Rooftop gardens, sick penthouse apartments you can see right into, gorgeous architecture – it’s all here, awaiting your adoration. But the Look Up philosophy is about more than just physically looking up. It’s about choosing to have a positive outlook. It’s about welcoming positive energy into your life. So wherever you are and wherever you go, please remember to look up.

Thank you so much, Susane! Congrats on your fifth, AMAZING book!

Okay guys, I have 1 copy of Susane's So Much Closer to give away to 1 lucky winner from the US. So all you have to do to win, is leave a comment here telling me what your awesome philosophy is. Something like Susane's "Look Up" mantra. You have until next friday, the twentieth, to enter. So get commenting! :)

Some awesome links for you guys:

-The Susane Colasanti Sampler (updated with an excerpt of SO MUCH CLOSER and a Q&A with Susane): http://www.scribd.com/doc/13828116/Susane-Colasanti-Sampler
-A link to Susane's website (www.susanecolasanti.com)
-A link to Susane's Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/susanecolasanti)

Susane Colasanti Blog Tour Announcement

Hey everyone! I just wanted to stop by and announce something VERY cool. Susane Colasanti started her blog tour today, and you can read that entry over at Alley of Books. The big announcement though, is that she'll be stopping HERE on May 13th for the last day of her blog tour! How awesome! So make sure you guys keep checking back, because I have reviews of Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott, Love Story by Jennifer Echols and We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han coming up. And definitely make sure you stop by on May 13th for the finale of Susane's blog tour!
Happy Reading guys :)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Hey everyone! Today I've got a review of Cassandra Clare's very anticipated novel, City of Fallen Angels. I never posted my review of the previous three books in the series, but before I give you the summary of COFA, I want to tell you that the series is AWESOME. Paranormal heaven, really. Badass shadowhunters, sexy boys. Dear lord, you need to read them if you haven't already! Anywho, a description of City of Fallen Angels is here:

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.
Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I was so excited to find out there was going to be an additional THREE books to this series. Mostly for two reasons. Jace is perfectly imperfect and the whole Shadowhunter world is amazing. I don't want to post any spoilers, so this review will be a little general and short, but ultimately, I couldn't NOT post a review of this awesome book.
Cassandra Clare's ability to create such a different and specific world is amazing. I never once questioned the powers or norms of this Shadowhunter universe. In fact, I just want to live there. Shadowhunters are completely badass and have such a diverse culture. All of the characters in this book are purely individuals. Jace, oh Jace. So witty, sarcastic, sexy, and amazing. I didn't think I could fall more in love with Jace, but COFA sure did it. I want him to be in every scene ever and even better, I want him to marry me. Clary is cool, but I think I'd rather have him for myself ;)
In short, this book is MAGNIFICENT. Go get it! And the other three! You will not be disappointed, I promise. Once you read it, you will not be able to figure out how you ever resisted the Shadowhunter world in the first place. Hope you guys enjoy!

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Hi! See, I told you I'd be back today. And, I have a super awesome review for you guys too, because my awesome friend Miranda from Just Read Books snagged an ARC of What Happened to Goodbye and let me borrow it! A description of the book is here:

Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends—in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?

Miranda and I have this scale we use for the new Sarah Dessen books. Basically, we put all of her books in to catagories of Amazing, Great, or Good. So far, here are our thoughts:

Amazing: Just Listen, The Truth About Forever
Great: Along for the Ride, Lock and Key, This Lullaby
Good: That Summer, Someone Like You, Keeping the Moon, Dreamland

So the point of all that is to tell you what category I have placed What Happened to Goodbye in. I always wait until the last word to figure out how much I loved the book, and guys, this one felt Amazing. From the very first page you could tell this was a Sarah Dessen novel. I don't know if it was just me being me and being way too involved with fictional characters, but this book made my eyes swell with tears quite a few times. In a good way, though, I promise! I immediately related to Mclean, as we have similar home lives and I had to switch schools in the middle of high school before. Mclean is just a simple girl trying to deal with her parents divorce the best she can, meanwhile not trying to get close to anyone along the way. Luna Blu is the new restaurant her dad has to help save, and there in Lakeview she's forced to make relationships and finally deal with her problems.
Every character in this book is their own person and so different. No one has replaced Wes as my favorite Sarah Dessen boy, but Dave sure does pull in as a close second. Dave is just so different from any boy Sarah has written about. He's charming, adorable, funny, and so, so sweet. A lot of the parts I teared up for were because of him. Another character I loved was Deb. She is just so perky, organized, and completely badass. I'm glad she was part of Mclean's story.
Also, this book was filled with many, many more of Sarah Dessen's signature AMAZING quotes. So many insightful thoughts that I took to heart.
This book comes out May 10th so make sure you buy it!
There is a contest on Sarahland.ning.com where you can win an ARC of it, so if you want it sooner, make sure you head over there and enter the contest!
Happy Reading! :)

I am Sucktastic, I know.

As you can see, I acknowledge the fact that I am a sucktastic blogger. However, I do currently have my hands on an ARC of Sarah Dessen's What Happened to Goodbye. That has to make up for a little, right? No? Oh, okay.
Anyway, I apologize AGAIN, and plan to update whenever I can. In fact, I believe you shall have a review of the book mentioned above some time tomorrow.
So, don't hate me? Please? Will a picture of a small kitten in a knitted sweater soften you up?
Go here: http://weheartit.com/entry/7000728
Doesn't it just make you want to forgive? I thought so too...

Happy reading, be back tomorrow!

Stay is coming out on Monday!

Hey everyone! I know I already posted a review of Stay by Deb Caletti, but I wanted to re-post it to remind you guys that it's coming out on Monday and that it is AMAZING! So if you didn't see the review or you forgot about it, here it is! (Description included).

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is--and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

Deb Caletti has done it again. I fell in love with her books once I read Fortunes of Indigo Skye and this book is no different. This one is set up a little different, but I loved the new format! It switched back between past and present with each chapter and also added some footnotes. The footnotes made me think of E. Lockhart's Ruby Oliver series and I LOVE those books too.
I've always loved Deb's style of writing, but this book has to be new favorite. It really made me feel for Clara's character and everything she was going through. I also loved the way you learned the story of Christian through a flashback-type chapter that ended up being connected to the present.
Deb seems to have done A LOT of thinking about this book. It has been compiled beautifully and gracefully. Not only does she tell the story of Clara, Christian and Finn, but she also adds a complex family background to the story as well. This is the perfect example of an amazing Young Adult novel. This is the type of book that brings me back to why I love YA so much. The power of Deb's words in this novel make you feel like you are right there with Clara, experiencing everything along with her. Deb definitely knows how teens operate.
This book was a great read and I can't wait until it's published so I can buy my own copy and read it again and again!
Stay comes out in April 2011 so mark your calanders! Do not miss out on this novel-- you won't be disappointed! Reading this book will make your life better in some way, I promise.
Hope you guys get this when it's released! Happy Reading!

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

Hello, Peeps! I just now noticed that my post about Part 2 of my top anticipated books never posted!! I'll get that fixed ASAP. It was supposed to have been on there two weeks ago! Anyway, this past week was the NYC Teen Author Festival and I got to go again! You guys know what that means... Author sightings! I will post a separate entry about the festival, but today's post is all about Susane Colasanti's newest book, So Much Closer. I didn't think I would be getting an ARC of this one, but Susane was so, so sweet and brought me a copy!
Here's the description:

Scott Abrams is the love of Brooke’s life. He just doesn’t know it yet. So when his family moves to New York City the summer before senior year, Brooke has no choice but to follow Scott. It’s her last chance to prove to him that they’re meant to be together.
But the city is full of surprises that Brooke never expected. Ever since a painful family trauma, she’s been closed off to her parents, to her friends, and even to herself. Now, inspired by the thrilling energy of the bustling and creative city around her, Brooke starts to explore her talents and become someone she never dreamed she’d be.
So what will she do when her biggest dream finally comes true . . . and instead, she wants something more?

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Well, the book itself did not disappoint! Susane's fifth novel is a funny, relate-able, daring book about a girl who does what ever it takes to get what she wants. I was already in love with the book after reading the first chapter, but after the third, I knew I was in heaven. I related to Brooke in so many different ways, it was exhilarating. We have similar home lives, outlooks on life, and even similar dreams to chase after. On my review of Susane's fourth novel, Something Like Fate, I said that the book made me want to change my life. While that was true, So Much Closer has motivated me in even more ways.
The story is fast paced, with many well rounded characters. I loved how different John was, especially his awesome shirts. He has such an interesting outlook on life and a huge love for his city, New York. I loved every scene he was in.
I truly cannot think of a single thing in this book that I did not enjoy, and that is usually a hard thing to say! I think I might even go read it again...
You guys definitely do not want to miss this awesome novel! Even the cover is freaking amazing! The High Line is so beautiful and it works perfectly for this book. There is NOTHING on this cover that would turn me away :)
It comes out on May 3rd so make sure you either pre-order it or get it as soon as it comes out!
Happy Reading :)

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Yay! Computer is working again! I hope my list of anticipated books tied you guys over at least a little bit! I will post the second half of it tomorrow, but first I wanted to post a long over due review of Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. Here's the description:

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn’t make it back.
John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge—and over...

First of all, GO GET THIS BOOK NOW! I mean it! Right now, I say. I'll wait for you to get back.
Okay, so you've got it, right? Good.
Seriously, peeps? This is the best book i've read since The Truth About Forever. And that is saying a lot because I NAMED MY BLOG AFTER THAT BOOK.
Going Too Far is so many things. It is hilarious. It is meaningful. It is intense. It is romantic. It is angering. It is beautuiful. I've read this one three times in the matter of three weeks. I just can't stay away from it!
In the book, Meg is battling her own demons from the past. She's a rebel and insanely sarcastic. This has got to be the funniest book i've ever read, along with A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker. Going Too Far, though, is more of my style. I feel like this book was written just for me. Meg has my exact sense of humor, and I can definitely relate to her in a way. Her inner quirky dialogue was so entertaining I could not even believe it. Jennifer Echols is one hell of a writer, that's for sure. And John, oh man. He is just so irrisitable and dreamy and scarred and lovable and sexy.
Other than all of the previous things I listed, Jennifer Echols is also VERY good at writing intense chemistry between characters. This book has one of the most intense chemistry love stories that I've read in a YA book. The story is all about dealing with your problems, and how love can sometimes find you in the most critical moment, helping you along the way. John and Meg are meant for each other.
This book was meant for everyone!! Go out and buy it if you already didn't. I promise you will not be dissapointed. Check you're library if you can't afford to buy it, you do not want to miss reading this book. It has changed my life and I hope it will for you as well!
Happy reading everyone :)