My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Title & Author:
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publisher:
Dial Books For Young Readers
Publication Date:
June 14, 2012
Amazon | Goodreads

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them… until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs her trellis and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love and stumble through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first romance, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own – even as she keeps him a secret from her disapproving mother and critical best friend. Then the unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha’s world. She’s suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A debut novel about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

Every once in a while I like to do sort of a short, mini review without writing my full review yet. Why? Because I HAVE to talk about the book.

And the book this time around? My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. As Shanyn likes to say, I am a taunter. So if you don’t want to lust over this book just quite yet, as it doesn’t release until June, you ought to skip over this. Fair warning.

ALRIGHT GUYS. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is so freaking good. It’s certainly not a quick paced book, not a lot of action – in fact, the first 250+ pages of My Life Next Door, you’re basically in a frenzy because YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN based on that summary.

But the entire time you’re tense? You’re like OH MY GOD THIS IS SO GOOD. Especially if you like wacky messed up families and steamy romance because My Life Next Door has all that by the bucket load. Or something. I’m not sure what the exact phrasing is.

Oh, and what happens? HOLYYYYYY HELL.

Anyway, point is – I think I was like..35? 50 pages into My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick before I preordered a finished copy. So maybe you ought to scoot along and do that.

So there’s this book hitting the shelves today. And this book is Pure by Julianna Baggott. I’ve read Pure, and I loved it, but as the author’s assistant, I don’t feel comfortable writing a complete review.

But I will tell you guys this – Pure is intense. It’s awesome (both meanings of the word) and heartwrenching and horribly gruesome and so very good. If you can handle a dark (and I do mean dark) post-apocalyptic story, I highly recommend popping over to the bookstore or your library or whatever and grabbing a copy of Pure.

And if you need more persuasion, check out a few posts from other bloggers –

Fiction Folio (Review and Giveaway)
Into the Hall of Books (Review and Interview)
The Book Smugglers (Review and Interview + Giveaway)
Novel Thoughts (Review)
Good Books and Good Wine (Review and Guest Post)

Basically, definitely check out Pure by Julianna Baggott.

Indie Bound | Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website | Author Twitter

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it’s his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again. – Goodreads

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Title & Author:
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Publisher:
Balzer + Bray
Publication Date:
January 24, 2012
Amazon | Goodreads

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld… this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s….

Everneath is kind of…wow. I mean, it’s hard for me to form words to describe what reading Everneath was like. It was mythology and paranormal and romance and all sorts of different stuff combined into one book. SUCH an original story. The entire time I was reading it I was just like, “Oh my god, how does someone come up with this?”

But for real. Although it had flaws (but very few books don’t), Everneath is an awesome debut and a seriously interesting start to a new series. After that ending, I will seriously be reading book two when it comes out.

My full review will come closer to publication date.

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Title & Author:
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
Publisher:
HarperCollins Children’s
Publication Date:
January 17, 2012
Amazon | Goodreads

Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all. – Goodreads

Guys, if you’re a fan of fantasy and adventure and pirates and sailboats and magic and heroic female main characters, definitely check out The Book of Wonders.

I mean, here is this 13-year-old girl doing stuff that I’m not even sure I could do. She’s brave and loyal and fierce. I absolutely loved being with her through her adventures.

Seriously – even though it’s middle grade, Zardi felt so much older and more mature than that. Definitely give The Book of Wonders a shot if it sounds like something you’re interested in!

My full review will come closer to publication date.

Title & Author:
Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
Publisher:
HarperTeen
Publication Date:
January 17, 2012
Amazon | Goodreads

When Shalini’s father gets a new job in L.A., she is torn away from her life in India and the boy to whom she’s been betrothed since she was three. L.A. is so different, and Shalini dresses and talks all wrong. She isn’t sure she’ll survive high school in America without her fiancé, Vikram, and now she has to cope with her mom’s homesickness and depression. A new friend, chill and confident Renuka, helps Shalini find her way and get up the courage to join the Food4Life club at school. But she gets more than just a friend when she meets Toby—she gets a major crush. Shalini thinks she loves Vikram, but he never made her feel like this.

In Lovetorn, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems as if your destiny has already been chosen. – Goodreads

I seriously loved this book. It was such an eyeopening look at another culture and bullying and depression and how people get through such drastic changes in their lives.

Seriously, if you’re a fan of stunning and original contemporaries, check out Lovetorn. It was funny and tearjerking and sort of all around awesome. Even if one of the characters drove me crazy (as insensitive as that might be).

My full review will come closer to publication date.

Title & Author:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Publisher:
HarperCollins Children’s
Publication Date:
January 31, 2012
Amazon | Goodreads

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? – Goodreads

This book is crazy. The entire premise of it blows my mind and I just can’t get over the awesomeness of it. Jodi Meadows was able to take a concept that’s found in so many different cultures (reincarnation) and write an entirely original book out of it.

I was blown away while reading Incarnate – so many different aspects to the story and the characters, and twisty-turns I did not see coming. You want to check Incarnate out when it hits shelves in January.

My full review will come closer to publication date.

Title & Author:
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
Publisher:
Razorbill
Publication Date:
December 08, 2011
Amazon | Goodreads

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine – a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it’s undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe – in love, in herself, and even in miracles. – Goodreads

The Probability of Miracles is intense. It’s biting and sarcastic and painful and witty. Absolutely heartbreaking. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. And cry some more.

The main character, Cam, is so unbelievably real. She’s terrified of her disease but she doesn’t want to let it control her life, and that struggle is reflected in everything she does.

Seriously – if you’re looking for an unbelievably good contemporary, definitely check The Probability of Miracles out when it hits shelves in December!

My full review will come closer to publication date.