Castaways – By Jessika Fleck – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Fantasy, Friendship, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: The Castaway Carnival: fun, mysterious, dangerous.

Renowned for it’s infamous corn maze…and the kids who go missing in it.

When Olive runs into the maze, she wakes up on an isolated and undetectable island where a decades-long war between two factions of rival teens is in full swing.

Trapped, Olive must slowly attempt to win each of her new comrades’ hearts as Will–their mysterious, stoically quiet, and handsome leader–steals hers.

Olive is only sure about one thing: her troop consists of the good guys, and she’ll do whatever it takes to help them win the war and get back home.

The Castaways is a clever novel that is a combination of Mean Girls and Lord of the Flies. As the story begins, Olive Maxi Gagmuehler is being tormented by three high school classmates. A couple of the things they do to her are definitely cringe-worthy, so beware. Everything comes to a head one night when after being once again attacked, at a carnival, Olive runs into a corn maze and suddenly finds herself trapped on an island with teens from different time periods. the only thing they have in common is they were all running away from something or someone, when they landed n this mysterious island. Olive is someone that many teens will relate to, especially if they’re victims of bullying. While she’s clearly terrified of her attackers, she also fights back against her tormenters. Once she’s on The Island, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no oasis of safety. While the teens and two young children in her group are for the most part welcoming, there’s another group that seems determined to wipe them out. But one of the best parts about this story is that nothing and no one is what they seem. Olive is the one constant, and she not only becomes the catalyst for change on the Island, but she goes through a journey of self-discovery that leaves her a stronger person by the end of the book. There were a couple of things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me. While I liked Will, Olive’s love interest, I never really bought into their romance for some reason. I’m not sure if it was just me, but there just didn’t seem to be any sparks. It almost seemed like they were forced together because of the circumstances, rather than there being real emotion behind their relationship. And, there were a couple of plot holes, particularly in regards to Olive’s tormenters that weren’t filled in enough for me. For the most part though, I thought The Castaways was imaginative and unique. It also does a good job at tackling the subject of bullying and sends a strong message that running away is never a positive solution to solving problems. It’s a book that should hold wide appeal for teens and I think it would also make an excellent selection for book discussion groups.  

Defy The Stars (Defy the Stars #1) ~ By Claudia Gray – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young People for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

512 Pages

Synopsis: Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that’s now at war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth’s robotic “mech” armies for decades with no end in sight.

After a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel’s programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to save Genesis–even though her plan to win the war will kill him.

Together they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi begins to realize Abel may be more than machine, and for his part, Abel’s devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming.

I was a big fan of Claudia Gray’s YA paranormal Evernight series and Defy the Stars, which is set in the year 2295, is about as different a departure as you can get, but it is every bit good, if not even better! To be honest, the first few chapters were a little slow for me and I was thinking “Oh God! How am I going to get through over 500 pages of this?” There’s a lot  of sci-fi technology being introduced, and while I think fans of this genre wouldn’t give it a second thought, for someone like me it slowed the pace down a bit. But then I started getting completely falling for the two main characters Abel and Noemi and from then on, I was completely entranced. Noemi at first comes off as prickly, but she winds up being everything you could want in a heroine. She’s courageous, feisty, loyal, and more than willing to sacrifice herself to save her planet. Abel, definitely starts off as more machine than human and in some ways he appeared to me a sort of space age Pinocchio, but it’s soon apparent that there’s much more to him than meets the eye. He not only develops human emotions, but he displays such a witty sense of humor, that there were several instances that he had me laughing out loud. The relationship between these two go from distrustful enemies, to friends, to the beginnings of a lovely romance. The world-building is breathtaking and combines with very real questions of faith and religion, terrorism, the effects of climate change, colonialism, and the ethics of artificial intelligence and robotic. The ending is a perfect set up for the next book, but it left me wishing that the sequel was coming out now! Defy the Stars is a highly original and beautifully told story that definitely lives up to the hype surrounding it. It will take you on a breathtaking journey across the galaxy, where you’ll discover dark conspiracies, sinister and powerful enemies, and unexpected friends and allies. I highly recommend it for both teens and adults who enjoy an exciting science fiction tale filled with characters you can’t help but fall in love with.  

 

Dead Little Mean Girl ~ By Eva Darrows – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Friendship, LGBTQ Families, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Out Now

304 Pages

Synopsis: Quinn Littleton was a mean girl–a skinny blonde social terrorist in stilettos. She was everything that Emma MacLaren hated. Until she dies.

A proud geek girl, Emma loves her quiet life on the outskirts, playing video games and staying off the radar. When her nightmare of a new stepsister moves into the bedroom next door, her world is turned upside down. Quinn is a queen bee with a nasty streak who destroys anyone who gets in her way. Teachers, football players, other cheerleaders–no one is safe.

Emma wants nothing more than to get this girl out of her life, but when Quinn dies suddenly, Emma realizes there was more to her stepsister than anyone realized.

The cover and premise both caught my eye when I saw Dead Little Mean Girl on NetGalley, but sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. The best part of this book is Emma. I absolutely loved her! She’s smart, spunky and a self-confessed nerd with a great sense of humor. She definitely needs a confidence booster though, and that’s even before Quinn moves in. I also loved her friends, especially snarky Nikki and Emma’s love interest, Shawn. But then there’s Quinn who invades Emma’s home when their two moms get together. “Mean Girl” nowhere near comes close to describing this girl. There is something seriously mentally wrong with this girl which leads me to my biggest issue with this book. It is so obvious that Quinn is dangerously  unstable, yet none of the adults do anything. There’s lots of threats, blame and hand-wringing, but no one actually does anything to not only stop her from ruining people’s lives, but also to get her the help she so desperately needs. When I read the afterward, the author talks about why she was inspired to write this book. She wanted people to see that even bullies at times are hurt and frightened and don’t know how to deal with their feelings or ask for help which results in them lashing out.  I really do admire what she was trying to accomplish here. The problem is that Quinn is so one-dimensionally toxic that by the end it’s impossible to feel any sympathy for her. At this point Emma supposedly realizes that there was more to Quinn than people realized, but honestly, there really wasn’t. She was just a horrible, possibly psychopathic girl, who because she was angry over her parent’s divorce, set out to destroy the lives of anyone who had the misfortune to get in her way. I’m giving this 2.5 stars because of Emma (who loves Harry Potter and Supernatural by the way) and the diversity that was shown. Otherwise, I’m sad to say that while Eva Darrows’ intentions were honorable, the idea behind this book was far better than the actual execution. 

Tricked (Fairy Tale Reform School #3) ~ By Jen Calonita – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Juvenile Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

256 Pages

Synopsis: Things are changing at Fairy Tale Reform School.

At least, that’s what Gilly’s heard through the Enchantasia rumor mill. Word is, notorious trickster Rumplestiltskin has taken over management from headmistress Flora, and he’s locked down the school tighter than the Pied Piper’s pants. Not that this news concerns Gilly. She’s been released from the FTRS and is now suffering through attending Jack of All Trades School, where she gets to learn about different kinds of shoe leather and ways to measure feet.mTruly riveting stuff.

But when Gilly’s little sister Anna gets whisked off to FTRS thanks to her troublemaking new friends, Hansen and Gretel, Gilly knows she’s got to get Anna out of there. There’s only one thing to do; make some serious trouble and get thrown back into FTRS.

It’s time to out-trick a trickster.

Tricked is the third book in the Fairy Tale Reform series, and once again Jen Calonita has created a fantastical tale filled with action, humor, and wonderful worldbuilding. Gilly and her friends continue to evolve, making them completely relatable to tween readers. Just as in the previous two books, blended into the story are real life themes such as: standing up for yourself, making the right choices even though they may be the most difficult ones, and the value of friendship and teamwork. The storyline itself enhances the world of Enchantasia and introduces new, yet familiar faces both friend and foe. While I thought this particular quest came to an end a little too quickly, the ending is a perfect setup for the next book. I highly recommend Tricked and its predecessors: Flunked and Charmed for 9-12 year olds who enjoy action-filled fantasy.

Simon Thorn And The Viper’s Pit (Simon Thorn #2) ~ By Aimee Carter – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Family Relationships, Fantasy, Friendship, Juvenile Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

304 Pages

Synopsis: Simon Thorn’s life is almost unrecognizable from a few months ago. Along with a surprise twin brother and an uncle he never knew, Simon has also found his first real friends to hang out, train and, study with at the secret Animalgam Academy. The only piece missing is his mother, held captive by his evil grandfather Orion, who’s bent on taking over the five kingdoms.

To rescue his mother, Simon sets off cross-country with his friends to the reptile kingdom, battling rogue Animalgrams and their own doubts along the way. But if he’s going to stop Orion, Simon will need to keep him from gathering together the fragments of a terrible weapon, or the lives of everyone Simon loves will be at risk.

When I reviewed the first book in this series, Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den, last year, my chief complaint was that although I loved the character of Simon as well as the world building, I thought the secondary characters were shallow and need more development. Well, this is one of those instances where the sequel far surpasses the first book. I can honestly say not only were the previous shortcomings addressed, but Simon himself shows tremendous growth. Just to catch you up on things, Simon and his new friends at the Animalgam Academy can communicate and transform into animals. While this theme is similar to others who use magical schools and “chosen one” themes, there’s plenty here that makes this stand apart. Although I wish there was a little more diversity with these characters, I connected to them much more in this story. As they embark on their quest, they have to not only find their way in the real world, but battle Animalgams that have been sent to capture them. There are many different sides in play here which Simon and his friends are just beginning to discover, and as a result they can really only trust and rely on each other. And this is my favorite part of the book. Watching them not only learn how to trust and be honest with each other, but also start working together as a team to reach their goals is pure pleasure. While Simon is definitely the leader, the others don’t just blindly follow him. When he loses sight of what needs to be focused on, they speak up while still being supportive. This is all done in a realistic fashion that I think many kids will relate to. The world building continues to expand and you see even more Animalgam communities as well as there being more at stake. There’s plenty of action from beginning to end which also makes this a quick read. I think this is shaping up to be a fun and enjoyable series for children in the 9-12 age range who enjoy authors like J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan. I’m definitely hooked and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

 

Denton Little’s Still Not Dead ~ By Lance Rubin – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Family Relationships, Friendship, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date February 7th, 2017

352 Pages

Synopsis: You only live once–unless you’re Denton Little!

The good news: Denton Little has lived through his deathdate. Yay! The bad news: He’s being chased by the DIA (Death Investigation Agency), he can never see his family again, and he may now die any time. Huh. Cheating death isn’t quite as awesome as Denton would have thought…

Lance Rubin’s debut novel, Deanton Little’s Deathdate, showed readers just how funny and poignant imminent death could be. Now in this sequel, he takes on the big questions about life. How do we cope, knowing we could die at any time? Would you save someone from dying even if they were a horrible person? Is it wrong to kiss the girl you’re best friend is crushing on if she’s really into you instead? What if she’s wearing bacon lip gloss?

I absolutely loved Denton Little’s Deathdate and as it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the sequel in this duology. As soon as it popped up on NetGalley about a month ago, I immediately requested and waited, and waited, and WAITED! Until finally it became clear that my request was frozen in the dreaded “pending” process, which anyone who’s requested eARCS on the site is probably more than familiar with. I was getting extremely depressed until it occurred to me to contact the author on Goodreads and see if he could help. Which I did and much to my surprise he quickly got back to me and within an hour I received a notification from Knopf via NetGalley that I was approved! I’d like to thank Lance Rubin who has proven to me he definitely cares about his readers! So, was this everything I hoped it was going to be? For the most part I give a resounding YES! Denton Little’s Still Not Dead retains much of the light-hearted humor as the first book, but it has a lot more action. Denton is still the same awkwardly endearing teen who’s trying to not only cope with the fact that he survived his deathdate and the mother he was told died in childbirth is alive, but he’s in hiding with a resistance group he knows nothing about and doesn’t really trust. And if that’s not enough, he’s worried about his best friend Paolo whose deathdate is fast approaching, and is determined to save him. As was the case in the first book, the very best part of this story is the friendship between Denton and Paolo. Amidst all the clever banter between these two is one of the most touching relationships I’ve come across in all my years of reading. These two may not be technically related, but they are most definitely brothers. They are so loyal to each other that not even a brief love triangle can permanently break up this dynamic duo. And speaking of love triangles, I know I always grump about them, but this one is such a momentary blip, that it didn’t annoy me at all. Besides. It led to one of my favorite quotes from Paolo:

Wow, I’ve been in the world for eighteen years, and I’ve never been in a love triangle, and now I get to be in one with two of my favorite people in the whole world. How awesome is that?

Trust me. This is classic Paolo! There are several other characters from the first book who also make appearances, which leads to the only criticisms. One of them is Paolo’s sister Veronica, and while I was initially happy to see her, for the most part nothing is done with her character and her inclusion added little to the story. I also was a little disappointed that the relationship between Denton and his brother Felix wasn’t developed more, but honestly, these are just minor complaints. Amidst car chases, and hiding from a secret and nefarious government agency, the story also takes a look at some serious real life lessons. Denton finally meets his birth mother, and learns what the true definition of motherhood is. And then there’s the question of the deathdates themselves. Is it better to know how long you have to live, or is it more important to live every day as if it may be your last? These all lead to Denton’s growth as a character, and makes him even more relatable, especially to teen readers. And finally, I have to admit the ending left me with mixed feelings. While I understand and respect Lance Rubin’s decision to make this a duology, I’m left with a certain sadness at having to say goodbye to characters which I’ve become so attached to. Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead are going on my shortlist of favorite YA novels of all time. They’re a little bit wacky, and some of the situations strain incredulity, but they’re fun-filled science fiction, whose memorable characters will appeal to a wide audience of teens and adults. I can’t wait to see what Lance Rubin comes out with next!

 

Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) ~ By Brenda Drake – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Romance, YA Fiction

Today I’m participating in themblog tour courtesy of Chapter by Chapter and Entangled Teen for a book I’ve been frothing at the mouth for since I read the first book in The Library Jumpers series. So without further ado let me present Guardian of Secrets!

Release Date: February 7th, 2017

400 Pages

Synopsis: Being a Sentinel isn’t all fairytales and secret gardens.

Sure, jumping through books into the world’s most beautiful libraries to protect humans from mystical creatures is awesome. No one knows that better than Gia Kearns, but she could without the part where people are always trying to kill her. Oh, and the fact that Pop and her had to move away from her friends and life as she knew it.

And if that isn’t enough, her boyfriend Arik, is acting strangely. Like, maybe she should be calling him “ex,” since he’s so into another girl. But she doesn’t have time to be mad or even jealous, because someone has to save the world from the upcoming apocalypse, and it looks like that’s going to be Gia.

Maybe. If she survives.

Guardian of Secrets is the second installment in the Library Jumpers series, and I’m happy to say it retains all the originality, magic, thrills, action, romance, and of course library jumping of the previous book, Thief of Lies. The only reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars is because the love triangle (which is a particular pet peeve of mine) between Gia, Arik, and Bastien threatened to overtake the narrative a few times. But even these relationships so well written, that I wound up satisfied with even that aspect of it, especially since Gia chooses the right guy in my humble opinion. Gia’s character has grown so much since the last book. Balancing school, a secret assignment given to her and her best friend, Nick by her uncle, her duties as a Sentinel, and trying to help Nick with his new Wizard powers, Gia perseveres and assists in saving the world…again! Of course none of this is possible without the support of her friends, family, and fellow Sentinels, who are all as fully fleshed out as the MCs. Girl power is very much on display throughout the story, with Gia surrounded by equally strong and supportive female friends. As is often the case with battles between good and evil, there are a couple of tragedies here involving well-loved characters, which puts fans on notice that no one is safe. Brenda Drake further builds upon the marvelous worlds she’s created through her beautifully descriptive style of writing. There wasn’t a moment where I felt lost or disconnected, because there’s just so much depth to her writing. I felt as though I had jumped into the book and become part of the story. In the end, Guardian of Secrets is a phenomenal follow-up to Thief of Lies and it’s left me eagerly anticipating the next book. I cannot recommend this addictive series highly enough to both teens and adults who love libraries and books!

For a look back at my review for Thief of Lies, please click here.

https://cadburypom.wordpress.com/2015/12/10/thief-of-lies-by-brenda-Drake-5-0-stars/

Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1), Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2), Touching Fate (Fated Series #1) and Cursing Fate (Fated Series #2). She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. She hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter Pitch parties on the hashtag #PitMad. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment)

Website – http://www.brenda-drake.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/brendadrake

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Drake/171424269657164

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/brendadrakeauthor/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012713.Brenda_Drake

The Hundred Lies Of Lizzie Lovett ~ By Chelsea Sedoti – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Coming of Age Stories, Friendship, Mystery, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017

398 Pages

Synopsis: A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn’t mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life. That includes taking her job…and her boyfriend. It’s a huge risk–but it’s just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.

By the time I finished The Hundred Lies Of Lizzie I was completely exhausted, but in a good way. The story is told in the first person POV of Hawthorn and being inside her head is a bit like being in an arcade pinball machine where the ball, or in this case the reader, is sent wildly careening around, completely at the mercy of of the player. I know how strange that must sound, but it’s the closest thing I can come up with that describes the way I felt reading this book. To be honest, I think Hawthorn is someone that readers are either going to fall in love with, or wind up incredibly annoyed with. For me it was a mix. During the first few chapters I found myself laughing out loud at many of her antics. But then there came a point where she’s so self-absorbed and immature that she started getting on my nerves. But my annoyance didn’t last long, because it becomes clear that Hawthorn is a lonely girl, bullied by most of her peers, who feels as though she’s unlovable. Her parents love her, and although her popular older brother, Rush and she have a strained relationship, it’s obvious as the story proceeds, he cares about her. And then there’s her best friend Emily, who to be honest is a much better friend to Hawthorn, than Hawthorn is to her. Yet Hawthorn still feels alone and isolated. I think the biggest issue is that she doesn’t know where she fits in, and as a result she pushes away people who care about her and could help her. She also has an overactive imagination which gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. While the mystery centers around the disappearance of Lizzie Lovett, a girl Hawthorn barely knew, she becomes obsessed with not only discovering what happened to her, but also obsessed with the girl herself. Why was Lizzie so popular? Why did everything seem to come easy to her? Everyone loved her, including Rush. After meeting her once, Hawthorn had even dreamt of Lizzie taking her under her wing and offering her guidance, and when this didn’t happen Hawthorn never got over it. Because of this, the mystery actually takes a backseat to the drama around Hawthorn, but that doesn’t make the story any less engrossing. One thing that did bother me a little was Hawthorn’s developing relationship with the older, self-involved Enzo, Lizzie’s boyfriend who was there the night she disappeared. I understood why Hawthorn became fascinated with him, but I never really bought into why he became interested in her as much as he did. There are many secondary characters that come and go, including a caravan of hippies, but instead of taking away from the story, they add color and flavor to it. The ending is about as near to a perfect conclusion as you could ask for, and wraps everything up satisfactorily. I don’t think The Hundred Lies Of Lizzie Lovett will be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like quirky characters, and you can relate to being an outsider, I highly recommend this. Due to some sexual scenes though, I wouldn’t recommend this for younger teens. Sedoti’s writing is witty and refreshing and I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes out with next.

 

A List Of Cages ~ By Robin Roe – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Child Abuse, Death, Friendship, Love, Loyalty, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 10th, 2017

320 Pages

Synopsis: When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down a troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that boy is Julian–the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more and more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.

I actually finished A List Of Cages a few days ago, but to be honest I was such a puddle of emotions that it took me this long to form a somewhat cohesive review. This amazing and inspirational story had me crying, raging, and even laughing at times, and I believe it is one of the most powerful YA novels I’ve ever read! It’s a book that deals with many issues: ADHD, death, foster care, multiple forms of child abuse, trauma, and bullying. Balancing these weighty topics are the positive ones of personal growth, friendship, loyalty and love. Robin Roe juggles all this in a believable and deeply personal way. Many of the topics are ones that have always been important to me, and it’s obvious that Roe is experienced with these issues. Every character in this story has their own distinct voice, but the two stars are  fourteen-year-old Julian and seventeen-year-old Adam, who on the surface have nothing in common, yet once you know them you realize they share the same pure, generous and kindhearted soul. While the abuse I suffered from as a child was somewhat different than what’s inflicted upon Julian, I feel comfortable in stating the author has created an authentic representation of many children who suffer from abuse and neglect. Julian also has an unadulterated sweetness of spirit that remains unwavering despite the horrible things that are happening to him and it made me want to just dive into the book and protect him even more. And Adam—dear God! He has such a joi de vivre that remains undiminished throughout most of the story, although it is sorely tested once he discovers the secret that Julian is so desperately trying to keep hidden. His fierce loyalty and love for Julian is simply breathtaking. As you know, I read a lot of books, but this story, and Julian and Adam are so amazingly written, that they will be staying with me for a very long time. I’m going to end my review here because A List Of Cages is a book with such a powerful message that you really need to experience it for yourself. I truly believe it has the capacity to change lives and I think ALL older teens and adults should experience it. It’s not an easy read, and you should definitely have a box of tissues on hand, but I guarantee, that if you read this, you will never, EVER, forget it! 

Alterations ~ By Stephanie Scott – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Diversity, Friendship, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Spark for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 6th, 2016

237 Pages

Synopsis: If anyone saw the prom boards Amelia Blanco makes on her favorite fashion app, they’d think Ethan Laurenti was her boyfriend. They wouldn’t know that all the plans she’s made for them are just dreams, and that she’s the girl who watches him from the kitchen while her parents cook for his famous family. 

When Amelia’s abuelita enrolls her in a month-long fashion internship in NYC, Amelia can’t imagine leaving Miami–and Ethan–for that long. As soon as she gets to New York, however, she finds a bigger world and new possibilities. She meets people her own age who can actually carry on a conversation about stitching and design. Her pin boards become less about prom with Ethan and more about creating her own style. By the time she returns to Miami, Amelia feels like she can accomplish anything, and surprises herself by agreeing to help Ethan’s awkward, Steve-Jobs-wannabe brother, Liam, create his own fashion app. 

As Liam and Amelia get closer, Ethan realizes that this newly confident, stylish girl may be the one for him after all…even though he has a reality TV star girlfriend he conveniently he keeps forgetting about. The “new and improved ” Amelia soon finds herself in between two brothers, a whole lot of drama, and a choice she never dreamed she’d have to make.

I knew as soon as I heard about Alterations that I just had to get my hands on it. You see, it’s a YA retelling of Sabrina, which is one of my FAVORITE movies of all time ( the Audrey Hepburn version of course)! The problem is when you’re creating a new adaption of a beloved classic, whether it’s a book or film, people are either going to love it or hate it. I’m happy to say that in this case I absolutely loved it and Stephanie Scott has my deep and everlasting admiration for the courage to take this on. First let me address the elephant in the room. Yes the love triangle (shudder) between Amelia, Ethan, and Liam is a big part of the story, yet it never takes over. 16-year-old Amelia has built Ethan up into godlike status. This is done in a very believable and relatable way. I think even adults reading this will probably think back upon a teen crush, that now with the wisdom of age, we want to smack ourselves in the head over. Amelia is shy and extremely insecure about herself, but she is also laser-focused on her dream of becoming a fashion designer, and her passion for this leaps off the pages. There are plenty of pop-culture references, especially to Instagram, Pinterest, and the tv show Project Runway and its host Tim Gunn, who Amelia idolizes. Even with her ambitions though, Amelia still initially panics at leaving her Miami home when she’s given a scholarship to attend the one-month-long New York Fashion Institute. But, with the gentle prodding of her mom and Abuelita, off she goes, where she not only winds up gaining new found confidence, but also meets girls who understand her passion for fashion. Thankfully there are no mean girls here, just like-minded ones with who Amelia forms strong friendships with. This brings me to the only small criticism I have with the story. Amelia tells a small lie regarding her relationship with Ethan, and as is quite often the case, this small lie snowballs until it comes close to derailing her new friendships. To be honest, while I understood the falsehood in question, I think for a while it took over too much of the story and that it wasn’t necessary. But honestly, this is my one and only complaint and it certainly wasn’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book. Similar to Sabrina returning to her father completely changed, Amelia returns to her mom and Abuelita, more sophisticated and with a newfound confidence in herself. She also starts to realize that maybe Ethan isn’t the right one for her, and instead sees that she and Liam actually have much more in common. Alas, the course of true love does not run smoothly for Amelia and Liam, and there are plenty of miscommunications and comedy of errors, they must get through before attaining their happy ending. Alterations is both a plot and character-driven story. As well-developed as the main characters are, they wouldn’t be nearly as appealing if it weren’t for the diverse cast of secondary characters. Friendship is a huge theme in this book, and all of Amelia’s “crew” bring something into her life. This is also all about diversity as the story is set primarily in Miami, and Stephanie Scott really brings this vibrant city to life. While Amelia and her mother and Abuelita are Latina, it’s never made clear where their family origins are, but they’re such a wonderful and loving family unit, it doesn’t really matter. Ethan and Liam despite being twins, are complete opposites of one another. Ethan is a likable extrovert, but also is a bit shallow. Liam is brilliant, yet awkward in his own skin and ironically it’s Amelia who coaxes him from his shell. The romance between them is so sweet that I wanted to reach in and hug them at the end. After reading Alterations I have to say it’s going on my short list of favorite 2016 reads and I can definitely see it being adapted to film. I think teen girls will love this as well as adults who love Sabrina. I can’t wait to see what Stephanie Scott comes up with next!