ARC Review of "Shade Me" By Jennifer Brown

Shade Me 

By Jennifer Brown 

Stars: 5 

Source: EW 

Release Date: January 19th 2016 

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A phone call from the hospital in the middle of the night. Someone you don't know has been attacked and your number is the only one in their cell phone. They need you to identify the body. Do you go? 

Nikki Kill does. And what she finds out is that the schools most popular girl has been beaten within an inch of her life, left for dead and she is now in a coma. 

Any normal person would identify her and let the police take care of it. But Nikki isn't exactly what you would all 'normal'. 

Thanks to a rare phenomenon called 'synesthesia' Nikki can see things that other people can't. Her senses are overlapped in a way that allows her to see emotions, numbers and letters as colors. 

Lies are gray, lust is violet, etc, etc. 

Nikki has always thought of her diagnosis as a disadvantage, a disability, but it might be just what she needs in order to solve the mystery of Peyton Hollis before someone else gets hurt.   

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"Shade Me", book one, in what I hope will be a very long series, sucked me in from the first couple of pages. 

Nikki is like the (slightly) less kiss ass version of Veronica Mars. She may not have a giant drooling sidekick (Backup, not Wallace!) or a taser (though she should invest in one) but she's got her seriously cool diagnosis of 'synesthesia', the mysterious death of her mother and now the mystery of Peyton Hollis' attack. 

Add in a hot brother (Peyton's not Nikki's) a nosy cop and (of course) an absentee parent and you've got yourself a thrilling suspense YA.

Her synesthesia is originally what drew me in but Brown's writing and characters are what I ended up staying for. 

Yes there were those "Oh no she didn't" moments where you're screaming at her to run away/lock the doors/call for help/let the police handle it, but without those moments we wouldn't have this book so I just rolled with the punches and tried not to let her total lack of self preservation bother me. 

I do admit that some times her color clues (what I called her synesthesia) threw me a little bit, but all in all I still couldn't give this book anything less than 5 stars, because a book that you stay up until 3AM to finish when you have work in the morning is a book deserving of 5 stars.  

That being said I almost wish this had been an adult novel. Nikki is 18, her dad was barely in the book and for it being 'young adult' there was a ton of sex and violence. Plus I feel like it would've been longer if it had been adult or even NA. And I'm ALL about more Nikki Kill. 

I can't wait for the next book! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

P.S *SPOILERS* 

Well spoiler-ish but whatever. 

Am I the only one who instantly shipped her and the cop (whose name I cannot remember!!!)??? 

Maybe I'm crazy but I really love them together and I can see a good working relationship between them (with benefits of course ;)).

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

(Not so) Patiently Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:

Taken from Amazon:

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they've always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

Release date is February 9th 2016

I've pretty much been counting down the days until I could get my hands on this book since I finished the first book in the series (The Red Queen). I am such a giant fan of Victoria's writing and her story and her characters that I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal once I finish Glass Sword and have to, yet again, wait 12+ months for more. 

If you haven't read the previous book I HIGHLY  recommend it and I will definitely be picking this up the day it comes out! 

Feel free to leave a link to your WOW below so  I can check it out! 

Until next time, 

Ginger

Book In A Minute Review of "Model Misfit"

Ginger's Book In A Minute Review 

"Model Misfit" 

Stars: 5

Source: Edelweiss 

Release Date: July 21st 2015

Whose in it? 

Harriet Manners <3

Three random facts about Harriet:

1. She's a walking accident waiting to happen.

2. She's about to become a big sister. 

3. She (still) has a stalker. 

What's it about?

Harriet's continued journey from self proclaimed geek to super model extraordinaire. 

Even though Harriet has a little bit of experience under her belt she's still naive to the world around her and the people in the fashion industry. After being dumped by her first real boyfriend all Harriet is looking forward to is her summer holiday. But when her summer with her best friend is abruptly canceled she makes the best of a crappy situation and jets off to Tokyo, hoping to forget about certain things, and certain people. However Harriet is shocked to discover the boy who broke up with her showing up wherever she is.  

Who would I recommend it to? 

Anyone who is looking for an easy, funny, light read. I read this in one sitting, it's nothing dark or deep but it's a cute read and if that's what you're looking for then you'll love it!

Anything else I think you should know? 

Don't read this book in public! At one point I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face and I nearly peed my pants. TMI I know but this is such a fun series! You can't help but love it!

Where can you buy it? 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository

Feel free to post your own "Book In A Minute" reviews just make sure to link back to my blog :) 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

Waiting On Wednesday "Tonight The Streets Are Ours"

 Waiting On Wednesday 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:

Recklessly loyal. That's how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she's grown resentful of everyone--including her needy best friend and her absent mom--taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn't even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.

During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music--the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does--Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.

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This isn't really a shocking pick for me because I LOVED Leila's previous book, "This Song Will Save Your Life". I'm dying to get my hands on this one and I know I'll love it just as much as her last book! 

Release date is September 15th 2015 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

Book In A Minute Review Of "The Secrets Of Attraction"

Ginger's Book In A Minute Review 

"The Secrets Of Attraction" 

Stars: 4 

Source: Edelweiss 

Release Date: April 28th 2015

Whose in it? 

Madison and Jessie. 

Three things about Madison:

1. She is extremely close to her mother. 

2. She has a boyfriend named Zach. 

3. She is currently working on a portfolio that will hopefully get her into a summer art program. 

Three things about Jessie: 

1. He's a musician (insert dreamy eyes here). 

2. His girlfriend cheated on him with his former band mate. 

        3. He is incredible sweet and adorable. 

What's it about? 

Jessie trying to recover from an awful breakup and Madison trying to figure out how to deal with the major bomb that her mom just dropped on her and of course how they come together and help one another through their individual drama.  

Who would I recommend it to? 

Anyone who likes Stephanie Perkins or Jennifer E. Smith. This was a quick read with amazing characters that I instantly liked and rooted for. If you're looking for a book to read during these last few days of summer I HIGHLY recommend this one! 

Anything else I think you should know? 

This is actually a companion novel to Robins debut book "The Promise of Amazing". Which I was unaware of when I picked this one up. While it can be read as a stand alone it will spoil a few things from the first book so I recommend reading them in order. 

Where can you buy it? 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble  - Book Depository

I hope you enjoy this new feature I'm trying out. I'm so far behind on my reviews that I thought this would be a new, quick and fun way and catching up and sharing my thoughts. 

Feel free to post your own "Book In A Minute" reviews just make sure to link back to my blog :) 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

Waiting On Wednesday

 Waiting On Wednesday 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:

I'm really excited for Queen of Shadows to come out, mostly because Sarah J. Maas is touring to promote the book and she's coming to my local bookstore! I've only read Throne of Glass but my goal is to catch up before the signing! 

What books are you looking forward to? 

Until next time, 
Ginger 

Stacking The Shelves (36)

"We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in the physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you're anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles."

I only have three books to share this week and I consider this to be a very good thing because my TBR pile/list is INSANE! Anywhere here they are! 

I'm most excited about "A Million Miles Away" my synopsis kind of blew my mind so I'm dying to read it! What books did you get this week? 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

Waiting On Wednesday

 Waiting On Wednesday 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:

When Lexi Shaw seduced Oakfield High's resident bad boy Tyler Flynn at the beginning of senior year, he seemed perfectly okay with her rules:

1. Avoid her at school.

2. Keep his mouth shut about what they do together.

3. Never tease her about her friend (and unrequited crush) Ben.

Because with his integrity and values and golden boy looks, Ben can never find out about what she’s been doing behind closed doors with Tyler. Or that her mom’s too busy drinking and chasing losers to pay the bills. Or that Lexi’s dad hasn’t been a part of her life for the last thirteen years. But with Tyler suddenly breaking the rules, Ben asking her out, and her dad back in the picture, how long will she be able to go on faking perfect?

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If you read my post yesterday I'm sure you weren't surprised to see that this my selection for this week WOW. I'm really excited about this book and I can't wait for it to come out! Also while writing this post I realized that Huntley Fitzpatrick blurbed the front cover and that only fueled the fire! 

Let me know what books you're looking forward to in the comments! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

ARC Review of "Made You Up"

Made You Up 

By Francesca Zappia 

Stars: 5 

Source: Edelweiss 

Release Date: May 19th 2015 

For as long as Alex can remember she's had trouble differentiating reality from delusion. Diagnosed with schizophrenia early on in her life helps her understand that sometimes what she sees isn't real but telling the difference is becoming a problem. 

Never leaving the house without her camera Alex captures every peculiar, eyebrow raising moment throughout her day, then she returns home to see what was real and what was purely her imagination.  

When an old delusion suddenly appears at her new highschool she is understandably skeptical. But the blue eyed boy seems to interact with everyone and luckily she doesn't seem to be the only one who can see him. 

Alex goes from zero to sixty in under a minute and finds herself making friends, attending parties and even falling in love, all things she never thought possible with her diagnosis. 

But when the line between reality and fiction is blurred it's all too easy to find yourself teetering between them. 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository

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If you only read one book this month make it this book! 

I remember reading the synopsis for this book months and months ago when I requested an ARC and when I got approved I couldn't wait to start it. I built it up in my head and when the time came to read it I was so terrified that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. 

Not only did it live up to my (incredibly high) expectations, it surpassed them ten times over! 

I haven't read too many books told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, in fact I can probably count on one hand the number of books that fall into that catagory but "Made You Up" takes the cake. 

No matter how closely you're paying attention and no matter how many times Alex (and her mother) remind you that most of what she sees isn't there Francesca still manages to throw a curve ball right at the readers heart. 

"Made You Up" is without a doubt one of those books that you finish and half an hour later realize you've been starring at a wall processing everything you've read, completely unaware of the passing time. 

I loved Alex's wit and dry humor, when things got tough she still managed to brush it off sarcastically and move on.

Miles was, of course, one of my favorite characters and I would literally (read: theoretically) kill for some chapters told from his smart ass point of view. 

It was such an addictive read, I couldn't put it down no matter how hard I tried (Spoiler alert, I didn't try that hard). 

I can't recceomnd this book enough and I eagerly await anything that Francesca comes out with next, a tweet, a grocery list, an email, anything! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

Review of "Saint Anything"

Saint Anything 

By Sarah Dessen 

Stars:5! 

Source: Secret Sister Gift 

Sydney has always lived in the shadow of her older brother, Peyton, but after what happened a couple months ago it seems like the whole family is now stuck under his dark rain cloud. 

Sydney's Mother is too concerned with Peyton and how the judicial system is treating him to see whats right under her nose and Sydney's Father can't seem to be bothered to look up from his morning paper. 

But Sydney doesn't feel bad for her brother, she feels bad for the kid whose life he ruined and the family that was effected by his poor decisions. It seems as though she's the only one who actually thinks about the victim and the consequences of her brothers actions. 

After transfer schools and starting fresh Sydney finds friends and solace in a family owned pizzaria and for the first time in a long time allows herself to feel something other than guilt.

But when Sydney suddenly has her extremely controlling mother focusing all her attention on her, her new friends and where she is every waking hour she starts slipping back down the slope and quickly losing herself and her new found happiness. 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository

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This is my all time favorite Sarah Dessen Book! I read it in two sittings and the second I finished it I wanted to flip back to page one and read it again!

Sydney was such a perfect main character- not in the sense that she could do no wrong but in the sense that she was 100% relatable and lovable. 

Without even being aware of what was happening I found myself walking in her shoes and thinking her thoughts. 

I don't think I can recall ever rooting for a character as much as I rooted for Sydney and her happy ending. 

Layla was such an amazing character and such a good friend that I couldn't help but smile every time I saw her name on the page. Her french fry obsession did become slightly problematic around 1AM when I found myself with a crazy craving for my own fries and ketchup but that's why In-N-Out is open until 2. 

Of course I adored Mac and his protective nature! He reminded me of a Stephanie Perkins character with his boyish grin and tall build. 

I was amazed by how Sarah wrote Peyton/Peyton's story. He never actually makes an appearance in the book (he's mostly just mentioned and every once in a while there's a phone conversation) and yet his presence is so strong. He determines the mood for the day, the tone for the week and he factors into almost every decision made. 

It goes without saying my least two favorite characters were Ames and Sydney's mother. 

I understand being slightly (SLIGHTLY) over protective after what happened with your first child, but holy mother of God, could you not take every mistake made by Peyton out on Sydney? It's like she couldn't be bothered to care about her until she couldn't control Peyton and then the gloves came off and she was two seconds away from placing her under house arrest! 

And Ames, creepy, serial killer eyes, Ames. How I wanted to hit him in the face with a frying pan! How is it that neither one of Sydney's parents could see what a low life he was? He gave me the creeps from page one until the last page his name was mentioned. 

Lets end on that lovely note... Not! 

"Saint Anything" is a beautiful story told in true Sarah Dessen fashion. The ups and downs of family relationships, the excitement from new friendships and the first love butterflies. All wrapped up in a perfect bow.

I cannot recommend this book enough!  

Until next time, 
Ginger

ARC Review of "Making Pretty"

Making Pretty 

By Corey Ann Haydu 

Stars: 2 

Source: Edelweiss 

Release Date: May 12th 2015 

Montana is used to her fathers girlfriends popping up in her and her sisters lives, moving in, bringing their collection of shoes with them, adding their own touches to the New York apartment. 

Shes use to them becoming fiances and eventually wives and ex wives. What she's not used to is the girlfriend in question turning out to be her best friend, Karissa, whose been hiding the relationship from her for months. 

While things at home quickly spiral out of control Montana seeks solace with her new boyfriend, one of her Dad's ex-wives and even Karissa, driving a wedge between her and Arizona. 

It doesn't take long for secrets to come out and lines to be drawn but whose side do you take when neither one is right? 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository

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Oh boy... 

Where do I start? 

I'm really surprised I finished this book, at the beginning I really enjoyed it, but how quickly the tables turned. 

Montana is one of my least favorite characters, she's so intent on writing in her journal about things she's grateful for and things that make her happy every day and yet she never physically shows her appreciation or gratitude. All she does is write it down and then in the next sentence she's complaining about how she hates her life. 

Karissa was beyond words. She was insane, downright mental and yet Montana babied her and made her feel like she wanted her there instead of telling her how she really felt about the relationship between her and her father. 

Arizona wasn't much better. She still blamed the ex wife (Natalie I think) who (along with their father) gifted them each certificates for plastic surgery on their 13th birthday and yet she freaking used it! She was so mad at Montana for still having a relationship with the only real mother figure she'd ever known all because of a horrible 'gift' that she used! Where is the logic in that?! 

Then there is her father... I refer to him as Frankenstein. He 'can't help' but to point out every single flaw in every single person he sees. He goes as far as coloring on family pictures of the girls with a sharpie to point out flaws and make notes on what he would change. His 'selective memory' was such a load of BS I couldn't even handle it and the way he was always guilting the girls into going along with things they weren't comfortable doing was manipulative and honestly quite creepy. 

I could go on, talk about Karissa's own manipulative tendencies, the fact that there was absolutely no character growth in the end or how much I hated Montana's 'relationship' with Bernardo but I think I'll stop here... 

Sadly I just want to make a note that while I (obviously) hated the story and the characters the writing was actually really good and it's the reason I finished the story at all. I'll still consider reading other books from Haydu but I definitely won't be recommending this one.

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

Review of "I Was Here"

I Was Here 

By Gayle Forman 

Stars: 5

Source: Purchased 

When Cody's best friend, Meg, commits suicide by drinking a bottle of industrial strength bleach Cody is devastated. But more than that, she's shocked. There were no warning signs, no cries for help, nothing she could have done to change Meg's mind, to save her. 

So when Cody starts digging deeper into the mystery of Meg's death she discovers that maybe, just maybe Meg was coerced by someone else to take her own life. 

When Cody finds herself working along side Ben McAllister, the boy who broke Meg's heart and the person who Cody holds responsible for Meg's sudden depression she finds herself question all she thought she knew about her best friend and the lives they shared. 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble  - Book Depository

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I put off reading this book for such a long time because all I knew about it was that it was a 'suicide book'. I should have known better. Gayle Forman did such a spectacular job of writing a unique book about such a emotional subject. 

As always I loved the characters in Gayle's book. Cody, Ben, Harry and Alice, they were all amazing, lovable and original. 

I could easily relate to Cody and her struggle with Meg's suicide. Meg was her only friend for such a long time and there wasn't ever a need to branch out or find someone else to share her life with. I know the feeling of losing your best friend, it's a horrible experience and one I wouldn't wish one anyone. When people say that they would rather have one best friend than 10 'okay' friends they don't ever think about what happens when the one friend is gone. 

I really enjoyed the 'mystery' around Meg's death. From the first chapter you know what happened and there isn't any doubt that she took her own life but with the twist that Gayle throws in it gives the characters and their story a fresh voice. 

I loved the relationship between Cody and Meg's family. Her little brother was one of my favorite characters and I enjoyed all the chapters that he made an appearance in. 

There wasn't really any doubt in my mind I wouldn't enjoy this book. Even with the tough subjects introduced and the over all feels, it was very relatable, a really quick read and as long as you're aware of (and can handle) the triggers I would highly recommend this book! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

Waiting On Wednesday

 Waiting On Wednesday 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:

I'm really excited for this book but I'm not including a summary because it's a sequel and I haven't read the first book yet. 

Crazy I know but I've heard so many good things about The Murder Complex and I put it off for so long I figured I might at well wait for this one to come out and marathon the two of them. 

Release date is May 26th 2015 

Until next time, 

Ginger