Screams All Sound the Same

Expected Publication:  May 26th, 2015

The Tenderness of Thieves

By: Donna Freitas

Philomel

ISBN-13:  9780399171369

Jane is ready for a fantastic summer.  In fact, she's pretty sure the universe owes her one.

This past winter, Jane was held at knifepoint during an armed robbery and the specter of that night still haunts her.  A summer romance with one of the town bad boys -- sexy Handel Davies, who takes her breath away and makes her feel like a bolder version of herself -- seems like the universe's way of paying her back.

But bad boys always have secrets, and Handel's secret just might shatter Jane completely.

Review

       I just seem to be striking out with books lately, and this one was no exception to that rule.  I requested this from the tour site that I belong to, because almost four years later I still remember her book The Survival Kit fondly.  I remembered comparing her to Sarah Dessen and really enjoying myself while reading her books, namely her characters.  I read the synopsis to this one and the comparison to Gone Girl (a book that, despite the hype, I still haven't read yet) did give me a moment's hesitation.  But I decided to request it anyways, even though the synopsis doesn't exactly cover up what the big "secret" Handel's keeping is regarding.  I have a soft spot for bad boys.  Well, me and this book did not get along.

       It started with a phrase the author, narrating as Jane in first person, uses in her thoughts - "me and my girls."  That phrase sounds like some sort of animal pack, or something out of a Brooklyn-ized Mean Girls revival.  This phrase happens at least four times within the first chapter.  I flipped through and it happens way more than just that, with "the girls and I" heading chapter thirteen, for example.  I am a freak and I know this, fully admitting it right now.  But something about that phrase SCREAMS ghetto trash, Maury-show contestant -- or rich, spoiled, partying Daddy's girl.  Either way, I cannot STAND that phrase.  I have come to the collective realization that I am now officially old in a way that I never was before.  Plus, the whole first chapter is a "meeting" between Handel and Jane, where he says her name twice, she says his once and he walks away.  Then she goes and rehashes the whole thing to her friends as an "interesting" story.  Overall, I think the current generations might like it, but I'm an old lady.  I kept thinking to myself, who talks like that?  And in what universe are this girl and her friends interesting?  Not for me.

VERDICT:  DNF, No Star Rating

**I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is May 26th, 2015.**

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, With Anyone Else But Me

Expected Publication: January 20th, 2015

First Frost (Waverley Family #2)

By: Sarah Addison Allen

St. Martin's Press

ISBN-13:  9781250019837

It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly.  As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievious apple tree...and all the magic that swirls around it.  But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley's Candies.  Through her handcrafted confections -- rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness, and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds -- are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance.  With each passing day she longs more for a baby -- a namesake for her wonderful Henry.  Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.

Sydney's daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to...if only he could see it, too.  But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke?

When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before.  And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

Review

       I generally like my magic and my reality clearly defined and in their separate boxes (or if mixed in the same box, it's obvious and for a specific reason).  Magical realism is a type of writing that I have very limited experience with, and before requesting this book I had read nothing by Sarah Addison Allen.  I'm glad I didn't realize it was a companion to a previous work, or I might not have tried reading it.  That said, I really enjoyed the idea that this ordinary southern family, the Waverleys, had magical powers passed down through the female line.  Everyone just accepts this as a fact, including the people of the town they live in.  It kind of reminded me of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, in that while not completely ostracized by their peers, the Waverley women (especially teenaged Bay) are treated like freaks - there for convenience and never to truly belong with the rest of the world.  It was a realistic attitude that I'm sure many people would adopt out of fear, if magic was truly real.

       The Waverley women are always restless in autumn, and nothing is exactly right again until first frost happens.  When the apple tree blooms, everything is good once again.  Until then, nothing is sitting quite right with the sisters or their own children.  Claire Waverley has gone from her catering business into a candy business, that while successful, is making her feel like her magic might be manufactured, and not real after all.  Sydney Waverley is desperate to give her husband Henry a son, a namesake to carry on the traditions of the men in his family.  Her hair gets redder and redder with desire, and she allows herself to be unsatisfied with her already full life.  Bay Waverley has a talent for knowing where things belong.  She knows that she belongs with Josh Matteson, but can't seem to make him understand that.  Then a strange old man rolls into town, claiming that Claire was the daughter of his friends and isn't really a Waverley - that her "mother" kidnapped her.  Will Claire let this con shake the last of her faith in herself and the magic, or will she band together with Sydney, Bay and their cousin Evanelle, to come out even stronger?

       Since I didn't read the novel before this one, Garden Spells, I had no previous impressions of the characters.  Therefore, I think I liked Bay the best.  She's the most in tune with herself and knows that she is a Waverley woman - that magic is a fact of her life.  She's not boy-crazy, and isn't being a total goof over Josh.  In fact when we get to know what her infamous note to him really said, it was really just an offer of friendship.  She isn't trying to push anything, but Bay knows they belong together and that she can help Josh, who is miserable and being crushed beneath his family's expectations.  I also really liked Evanelle, whose talent is giving people the things they need.  She was a hilarious, strong old lady and she cracked me up.  Sydney was my least favorite, mostly because she lets this young girl Violet, her receptionist (a teen Mom) walk all over her and steal from her.  All because she's obsessed with Violet's baby son.  She was so laser-focused on getting pregnant that she stopped talking to her daughter and basically used Henry as a sex-machine.  I empathized more towards the end, but the plot "twist" Allen had in regards to her was super predictable and made me roll my eyes.  I did like that Claire's daughter Mariah, the "normal" one of the family," did turn to have an unexpected gift.  Overall, I enjoyed reading this one and might attempt more magical realism in the future.  I might even backtrack and read Garden Spells.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I  received this book from St Martin's Press, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 20th, 2015.*

I Don't Like You That Way

Published:  September 1st, 2014
The Opposite of Love
By: Sarah Lynn Scheerger
Albert Whitman Teen
ISBN-13:  9780807561324

Rose is the wild girl nobody really knows.  Chase is haunted by his past.  Both are self-proclaimed "disappointments," attracted to each other enough to let down their defenses.  When Rose's strict, adoptive parents forbid the relationship it only makes things more intense.  But Chase can't hide from his own personal demons, and Rose has secrets of her own.  After they're wrenched apart, a cryptic email arrives in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, beginning a desperate pursuit and a look back over their tumultuous romance.  Will they find each other before the night is over, or will they be torn apart forever?

Review

       Rose has been with her parents since she was really young and they adopted her.  But she remembers her "real" mother and refuses to be the obedient, docile daughter that these people want her to be - she's going to do things her way.  Chase's father was a violent, abusive bastard.  His mother is not very maternal, to say the least, and he pretty much takes care of running their lives (and making sure his sister is taken care of).  When the two of them actually meet one another, sparks fly and trouble seems to be on the horizon.  After they are forbidden to see one another things come to a head with a mysterious email Cahse receives on Christmas Eve.  Can Chase and Rose find their way back to one another?  Or are both of their self-destructive tendencies too much to handle?

       I could not stand Rose.  She was a complete and utter, spoiled brat.  Yes, she has reasons to be upset with the strict and over-the-top way that her adoptive parents treat her all the time.  But she definitely invites it, with her completely outrageous behavior.  And yeah, it's sad that she lost her real mother, but her real mother had apparently been a down on her luck prostitute.  So, as much as she loved Rose, she had no business trying to take care of a child when she couldn't take care of herself.  Plus, it's obvious to see that her adoptive parents love her (even if I don't agree with their methods - the police?  Really?!).  Chase on the other hand, while being from the wrong side of the tracks, was a fairly sweet boy.  I didn't mind him quite so much.  I did think that him deciding to pursue Rose, who obviously was in self-destruct mode, was a dumb-ass thing to do.  Not to mention, it could ruin his life right alongside hers, which would just be a waste.  

       It's kind of hard to truly like a book though, when you feel like the author is cramming issues down your throat.  I also had a hard time with the "romance," seeing as I hate one half of the romantic couple.  Then the author had that so-called "twist" happen near the end of the book.  Really?  That's how she chooses to end this book, and make the two dumb teenagers grow up?  Cliched and overall, I've seen it so many times as a reader that it just makes me tired.  Overall, nit my cup of tea and not something I'd recommend.  I was skimming near the end, cause I just frankly didn't care.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

**I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book was published September 1st, 2014.*

A Baker's Dozen Is One Too Many...

Published:  February 4th, 2014

Something Real

By: Heather Demetrios

Henry Holt BYR

ISBN-13:  9780805097948

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV -- she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker's Dozen.  Since the show's cancellation, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight.  But it's about to fall apart....because Baker's Dozen is going back on the air.  Bonnie™'s mom and the show's producers won't let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show.  Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own -- even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

Review

     Ever since Bonnie™ Baker was born, her life has been documented on film and watched on TV by millions of strangers.  They got to see her and her many siblings (twelve to be exact) grow up -- and their family fall apart.  The show ended with Bonnie's parents getting divorced and her barely alive after a failed suicide attempt.  Now four years later, Bonnie is just beginning to heal from the anxiety, depression and isolation that being on TV brought to her life.  Going by the name Chloe, she has close friends, a boy she likes and a decent relationship with her siblings.  Then Chloe/Bonnie™'s Mom invites the camera crews back into their lives, rekindling the show after writing a tell-all book.  Of course she doesn't tell any of the kids about it until the crews show up.  Bonnie and her brother Benton are absolutely furious.  The last thing they want is to be back under a microscope.  Can they find a way to take control of their own lives, in the face of total dehumanization, marketing ploys and the unwillingness of their own mother to let them live their lives free?

     When you think of reality TV (or at least when I do), I never consider the children.  I tend to focus on the trashiness and greediness of the adults involved with the shows.  They're exploiting their own personal lives, relationships, privacy and themselves for money and fame.  Not to mention the poor taste they usually exhibit while they do it.  This book shows me what it must be like to be a child on TV, displayed for the entire world to gawk at.  Bonnie's relationships with her parents crumble.  Her Mom never has any time for her after they adopt the rest of the kids, and she hasn't seen her Dad since the divorce four years before.  Her sister Lexie blames her for the loss of the cameras and the fame.  The only one in her family that Bonnie really has a good relationship with is her older brother, Benton.  That's because Benny is of the same opinion she is - fame isn't worth the price of admission.  All the family drama and the complicated relationships were compelling stuff.  

     Probably my main complaints would be the lack of depth to Chloe's friends, Tessa and Mer, who really seem to exist as her connection to normality.  I did like the way Benton's relationship with Matt wasn't portrayed as being a big deal.  They were just two boys who were in love with each other.  There was bit of friction with Matt's religious parents near the end, but overall their relationship is treated as just the normalest thing ever - as it should be in books and real life, always!  Patrick, the love interest for Chloe, was extremely close to Gary Stu territory.  He was entirely too perfect and I could not spot a single flaw.  The only thing that ever caused problems with him and Chloe was when she tried breaking up with him "for his own good."  And honestly, he's loving and supportive, never gets mad at her and is willing to put off his acceptance to Columbia for a year, so he can travel around the world with her (all because she was too chicken-shit to apply to any colleges).  The end is kind of loose, with Chloe and Benton patching things up with Lexie, moving out after they turn eighteen, and hiring a lawyer to sue MetaReel and tank the show the best they can.  But we readers never get to see the resolution to any of these conflicts.  All in all, an intriguing book that really makes you consider the people behind the reality show "characters."  I'd recommend this to someone who enjoys a good character study.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Happiness Is A Warm Gun...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
This Is What Happy Looks Like
By: Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
ISBN-13:  9780316212823

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review

 

     Graham Larkin is a famous movie star with a career on the rise.  Ellie O'Neill is a small-town girl who has a quiet life, with a few secrets of her own.  When Graham accidentally send her an e-mail about his pet pig Wilbur they start sending e-mails back and forth, opening up and telling each other things no one else knows.  So when Graham's newest movie needs to change location at the last minute he suggests Ellie's small hometown in Maine.  All he wants is to meet the girl he thinks he could fall in love with.  But a series of misunderstandings and outside influences threaten their attempts to get to know each other in real life.  Can Ellie and Graham work through their issues and allow themselves to be open to true love?  Or is it just another internet hook-up gone wrong?

     Out of Ellie and Graham, he was definitely my favorite character.  He obviously was bewildered by his sudden fame and had originally wanted to go to college, never even considering acting.  But now that he's in the Hollywood sphere, he only does it because he loves the job.  And Graham is far from a cocky douchebag like most teen mega-stars are portrayed as being.  Ellie herself is a bit more of an enigma, being the illegitimate daughter of a very famous politician her Mom had an affair with.  They changed their last name and moved far away from D.C. when the scandal broke.  Ellie's Mom is far from pleased when she finds out her daughter's potential boyfriend is famous and will put her in the limelight again.  My only thing is that the drama between Ellie and her best friend was overblown and annoying.  I felt like the best friend was a complete bitch about things and Ellie just allowed it and made excuses for her, practically being a puppy when she started talking to her again.  After ignoring Ellie for practically an ENTIRE MONTH!  WTFH???  This book was fluff and after Smith's last book, I went in expecting a short and sweet puffy cotton ball.  And that is exactly what I got from this book.  Although I will say that the revelation of the paparazzi exposing who Ellie's Dad is, and nobody caring sort of pissed me off.  Seriously, after making such a huge deal out of the situation/secret it's just a (and I quote from the book) 'footnote' and Graham is more important???!!!  Yeah, I don't think so.  But the romance was sweet, the underlying satire and witty exchanges made me smile and though the relationships were fairly 2-D they were realistic enough.  Overall a fun read, but don't go into it expecting Sarah Dessen-style character development, because you won't get it.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Far Beyond the Blue...

Expected Publication:  May 7th, 2013
Nantucket Blue
By: Leila Howland
Disney Hyperion
ISBN-13:  9781423160519

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Review

 

     Cricket Thompson is looking forward to going on vacation with her best friend Jules Clayton this summer to Nantucket, meeting boys, going to parties and just having a good time.  Not to mention, she loves Jules' whole family.  So when tragedy strikes Jules' family and she shuts Cricket out of her life, Cricket has to find her own way to Nantucket for the summer.  Working harder than she ever has in her life, Cricket is also surprised by a romance she wasn't expecting with a guy that she knows it would be best to steer clear of.  Can Cricket have the summer of a lifetime, win Jules' friendship back and hang on to what may be true love?  I never really am sure what to expect from a book published by Disney Hyperion press.  This book was a very good surprise in a generally mixed basket of eggs.  As a main character Cricket is very naïve, as pointed out by other readers.  Her tendency to act like an obsessed stalker over her crush, Jay Logan, reminds me more of an 8 year old One Direction fan, rather than an 18 year old (soon to be) high school senior!  It got on my nerves, but thankfully that was FAR from being the focus of the book past the beginning part, which mainly just serves to establish how shallow her romantic feelings were - before she meets the boy that changes it all that is.  I am not going to name names as I make it a rule to avoid spoilers and give reviews vague on plot (usually, sometimes I break my rule a little bit :) but I will say it was someone I didn't peg as the love interest.  But it totally worked and was a very sweet, first love type of romance that had me smiling throughout the book. 

     Cricket and Jules' friendship was deep and ran true, which is why I was proud of Cricket every time she told herself to forgive Jules - because she understood that Jules was dealing with the death of someone extremely important by pushing her away and placing her anger on Cricket, where it had no business being.  The friendships Cricket builds while working as a maid at the inn with Gavin and Liz were wonderful.  All of the personality and sometimes surprising depth to them (mostly Liz) was wonderful.  Also, a guest at the inn by the name of George, who is writing a memoir on local politician Boaty Carmichael, hires Cricket on as his assistant and I love how she balances him out, but respects his quirks.  George treats her like an equal and an adult, which is something Cricket had been missing in her life.  The relationship between Jules and her Mom is great, with just the right balance of friend and parent being achieved.  Cricket's Mom is a strong woman and it's a fun side plot when Cricket uses her Mom's old copy of Emily Dickinson's collected works and finds her diary from her teenage years written in the margins (to hide it from her extremely nosy Aunt)! :)  Her Mom was boy crazy and kind of an insane, but in a fun way.  Cricket tries her best to uncover the identity of her Mom's summer romance, but the truth surprises her once again.  The beach setting gives something important to this book, but it doesn't monopolize it.  Even with some beautiful description and some beach scenes that move along the plot with important action, the characters are still the main focus.  Just the way I like it!  Overall this book had some extremely strong characters, an intriguing and realistic plot and a beautiful first romance that had me smiling and feeling like crying.  Leila Howland's debut is a treat to read and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future! 

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This books expected publication date is May 7th, 2013.*

 

 

****Hey guys, just as a sidenote, Princess Bookie was kind enough to let me keep the ARC for this one as I was last on tour.  I will be hosting a give away with a prize pack including the book and a couple other things too that I think fit the spirit of the story.  It's been awhile since my last giveaway and I feel bad about that!  I have yet to decide for sure, but I think there will be a secondary prize as well.  So within the next couple days there will be a post, so keep your eyes peeled if you're interested! :)

Dear Book, You Smashed My Heart to Pieces

Expected Publication: March 5th, 2013
Eleanor & Park
By: Rainbow Rowell
St. Martin's Press
ISBN-13: 9781250012579

"Bono met his wife in high school," Park says.
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
''I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Review

     Eleanor has just moved back in with her Mom and siblings after being kicked out by her Step-Dad a year ago for refusing to bow down to his authority - or his abuse and volatile moods.  She's got crazy red, curly hair, wears ill-fitting thrift store clothes and is overweight.  Park is just trying to stay unnoticed, which he's managing although it's not easy when you're half Korean and half White.  When Eleanor starts riding the same bus as Park and the other kids immediately begin to bully and reject her, he reluctantly lets her sit next to him.  At first they don't talk or even acknowledge each other.  Then she begins to read his comic books over his shoulder and he waits for her to turn the pages.  Park starts talking about music with her and making her mix tapes, giving her batteries for her un-used walkman at home.  It isn't long before they're defying the odds and starting to have romantic feelings for each other.  But with Eleanor's abusive Step-Dad always in the background waiting to strike and Park's disapproving Mom, will they be able to make things work?  And when Eleanor is forced to leave hom yet again and go live with her Uncle out of state, will they be torn apart for good? 

     I absolutely loved this book.  Those are the only words that I have for it, even if they aren't quite the right ones.  Eleanor's home situation was something that hit really close to home for me.  I grew up as the poor kid in class, rejected and bullied by my classmates for being different.  Luckily, while my Dad was a verbally abusive alcoholic, he wasn't physically abusive.  But I do know what it feels like to be afraid to go home and to have no one at school to turn to.  Park's life is normal and happy for the most part, but he's struggling with identity issues and the idea that his Dad doesn't understand him, or love him as much as his brother, Josh. 

     I felt like the gradual build-up of the relationship was very believeable.  Eleanor's prickly personality and relctance to accept help or 'charity' was very real to me.  It's all about pride, when you really have nothing else left.  Whereas in most books I read gushy romance rubs me the wrong way, I felt like Eleanor and Park were both so innocent and sheltered, that it rang true to me.  She was old in other ways, but romance was strange and new to her.  There was always a hint of cynicism that kept the "I-can't-live-without-yous" from getting to sickly sweet and unpalatable.  The ending and the way their relationship sort of dies and gets pushed away because of the distance really smashed me to pieces as a reader.  But it was so true that I couldn't help but nod my head and sigh in understanding.  I think this might be one of the best books I've read this year and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good, realistic teen romance, but doesn't mind some heartbreak along with it.

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is March 5th, 2013.*

Finally, The One and Only Jennie Spring!

Expected Publication:  January 8th, 2013

Janie Face To Face (Janie Johnson # 5)

By: Caroline B. Cooney

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13:  9780385742061

In this riveting and emotional conclusion to the thriller-romance Janie series, that started with The Face on the Milk Carton, all will be revealed as readers find out if Janie and Reeve’s love has endured, and whether or not the person who brought Janie and her family so much emotional pain and suffering is brought to justice.

Review

       It has been two years since Janie Johnson discovered that her other Father, Frank Johnson, knew where her kidnapper (his biological daughter) was the entire time the FBI was looking for her and he was sending checks to support her.  Since stopping the support, dealing with Frank's failing health and Miranda's incompetence in a crisis situation, Janie has almost gotten past everything.  Janie is at college in New York, equidistant to visit both sets of parents.  She has made new friends who know nothing about her past as a kidnap victim and is finally able to breathe, standing on her own two feet.  Janie is gravitating towards her real parents, Jonathon and Donna Spring, and her siblings after fighting the reality of them since she found out about her kidnapping.  She is finally becoming Jennie Spring, after all the years of being Janie Jonhson.  But now there is a true-crime writer named Calvin Vinesett poking into the family's harsh past.  When someone betrays her to the writer, Janie is pushed back into boy-next-door Reeve's arms.  Happy as she is, Janie still hasn't heard the last of the writer and with him finding a way into her personal business, Hannah also grows closer than ever before.  Will Janie's kidnapper ruin her life once and for all, or will she finally get her happy ending?

       I, like many readers of the Face on the Milk Carton books, felt like What Janie Found left things far too unresolved.  I wanted to know whether Janie and Reeve would end up together, where she would go to college, whether or not she would ever really try to connect with the rest of the Spring family.  The most important unresolved question was whether mentally unstable Hannah would ever be caught and locked up.  All of these questions are answered and we finally get a window into Hannah's reasons for her actions.  She came across as unbelievably cunning in the final few chapters for someone who acts ridiculously childish and has zero reasoning skills for the majority of the book.  Then again, it did make sense in a very twisted way.  I liked the different POVs, letting us see what was happening with basically everyone.  I felt like we could have done without Sarah-Charlotte on that front though.  She was sort of extraneous as a character.  I like seeing where Stephen, Jodie, Brian and Brendan were and what they were doing.  The fact that Janie finally accepts her other family made me fist-pump in joy.  I loved that she became Jennie in the end, like she was always meant to be.  Overall, a great conclusion to a harrowing and heart-breaking series.  Thank you Ms. Cooney, for finally letting them be happy! :)

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

**I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is January 8th, 2013.**

Come to My Window, Come Inside

Expected Publication: June 14th, 2012
My Life Next Door
By: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780803736993

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

“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 terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review

   Samantha Reed has been watching the Garrett family with longing ever since they moved in next door.  There might be a lot of kids and a lot of noise, but compared the Sam's distant, proper family it seems like heaven on earth.  So imagine her surprise when one summer night Jase Garrett comes up onto her terrace and enters her world.  At first they become friends and Sam thinks she can keep it from her Mom, who disapproves of the Garretts and is running to be re-elected as a senator.  Then they begin to fall in love, Sam gets seriously close to the Garrett kids during the times she babysits them and she no longer feels like she needs to hide it from her Mom.  But the last thing she wants to do is disappoint her family.  So at first, she just doesn't tell anyone.  Not exactly lying right?  But when something devastating happens to Jase's Dad, with Sam's Mom and her creepy political boyfriend are to blame, will she be able to do the right thing if it means losing her own family stability?  And will her relationship with Jase and the Garretts be over when the dust settles?  I can understand why this book has been compared to Sarah Dessen - the whole first love, personal identity and family issues mix definitely makes it similar.  But I thought that the way the book ended was pretty weak.  The plot twist involving Jase's Dad getting hurt and Sam's Mom being involved seemed a little too Lifetime movie of the week for my taste.  Huntley should have just stuck to the love story and the side-story of a family in need of healing.  That was what truly interested me about this book.  Jase and Sam made a wonderful couple.  The sub-plot with Sam's best friends, Nan and Tim, was truly wonderful.  I sympathized with Nan and hated her at the same time.  Tim I just wanted to wrap in a hug, feed a hot meal and save him from the downward spiral he was on.  Jase's brothers and sisters were awesome, especially Duff, George and Alice.  Tim cracked me up every time he tried to put the moves on 'Hot Alice.'  Definitely worth the read and it does the small town life admirably well with plenty of heart from each character.  I just don't know where in the HELL that crazy-cakes plot twist came from! :)

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 14th, 2012.*