July was a very heavy YA month. Despite hitting the big three-oh at the end of last year, I'm not gunna stop reading YA, as I find it really enjoyable. Some books I couldn't finish but I won't be mentioning those in this post. Some were predictable, some I didn't like and there was one clear favourite.
Sophie & Carter
Chelsea Fine
Current Kindle price: £2.12
"A girl. A boy. A porch swing.
Sometimes life breaks your heart.
And sometimes the boy next door puts it back together."
Current Kindle price: £2.12
"A girl. A boy. A porch swing.
Sometimes life breaks your heart.
And sometimes the boy next door puts it back together."
This is just a short novella but I really liked it. I've never read anything by Chelsea Fine before so this was a good introduction. I'd be interested in reading more books by her. The synopsis doesn't really give anything away but both Sophie and Carter have difficult living situations and support each other through it. A good, quick read!
99 Days
Katie Cotugno
Current Kindle price: 99p
Current Kindle price: 99p
"Last year Molly Barlow did something terrible.
Then, her mother wrote a book about it.
And so everyone in their tiny hometown found out that Molly cheated on her childhood sweetheart, the love of her life, her best friend with his brother.
After spending senior year at a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, Molly now has ninety-nine days to endure back in her hometown before she can escape to college.
Ninety-nine days of being the most hated person in town.
Ninety-nine days to heal the hurt she's caused.
Ninety-nine days to figure out what she wants, and who she loves..."
Honestly, although I actually finished this, I hated this. There is nothing redeeming or likable about the majority of the characters and as couples, they were even worse. I'm glad I only paid 99p for this. A frustrating read that was ultimately a disappointment. I won't be reading the sequel.
What were you reading in July? Tell me in the comments so I can check them out please.
Danni
X
Then, her mother wrote a book about it.
And so everyone in their tiny hometown found out that Molly cheated on her childhood sweetheart, the love of her life, her best friend with his brother.
After spending senior year at a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, Molly now has ninety-nine days to endure back in her hometown before she can escape to college.
Ninety-nine days of being the most hated person in town.
Ninety-nine days to heal the hurt she's caused.
Ninety-nine days to figure out what she wants, and who she loves..."
Honestly, although I actually finished this, I hated this. There is nothing redeeming or likable about the majority of the characters and as couples, they were even worse. I'm glad I only paid 99p for this. A frustrating read that was ultimately a disappointment. I won't be reading the sequel.
Cross My Heart
Katie Klein
Current Kindle Price: £2.49
Current Kindle Price: £2.49
"True love can blossom in unexpected places. This is Jaden pretending not to notice...
Jaden McEntyre and Parker Whalen are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past- a reputation- and the rumours about his mysterious habits abound. So there's no reason why, when they're assigned to work together on a project in English, they should discover they have nothing in commin, or even like each other, and they definitely shouldn't be falling in love.
As they bond over Edith Wharton's tragic novella, Ethan Frome, the 'bad boy' vibe Parker plays begins to dissipate. Soon, Jaden finds herself shedding her own 'good girl' image: sneaking around to be with him, confiding in him, and ultimately falling hard for this leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving loner who plays into the rebel stereptype.
Still, Jaden can't shake the feeling that there's more to Parker than he's letting on. He's hiding something from her, and discovering the truth means reconciling the Parker she'd grown to love with the person he really is. Because it's possible that his life inside the classroom- everything Jaden knows- is one, massive lie."
Jaden McEntyre and Parker Whalen are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past- a reputation- and the rumours about his mysterious habits abound. So there's no reason why, when they're assigned to work together on a project in English, they should discover they have nothing in commin, or even like each other, and they definitely shouldn't be falling in love.
As they bond over Edith Wharton's tragic novella, Ethan Frome, the 'bad boy' vibe Parker plays begins to dissipate. Soon, Jaden finds herself shedding her own 'good girl' image: sneaking around to be with him, confiding in him, and ultimately falling hard for this leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving loner who plays into the rebel stereptype.
Still, Jaden can't shake the feeling that there's more to Parker than he's letting on. He's hiding something from her, and discovering the truth means reconciling the Parker she'd grown to love with the person he really is. Because it's possible that his life inside the classroom- everything Jaden knows- is one, massive lie."
I'm on the fence with this one. It was written really well but a little predictable... until the truth about Parker is revealed. The twist comes out of nowhere and it's written that way, almost like the author hadn't decided where to go with this until she got to that specific chapter. I probably wouldn't recommend this, there are way better YA books out there.
The Truth About Alice
Jennifer Mathieu
Current Kindle price: £2.99
"There are all sorts of rumours about Alice Franklin. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumours start to spiral out of control blaming Alice for Brandon's death.
In this remarkable novel, four Healy high students- the party girl, the car accident survivor, the ex best friend and the boy next door- tell all they know.
In this remarkable novel, four Healy high students- the party girl, the car accident survivor, the ex best friend and the boy next door- tell all they know.
But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself."
I'd previously read Moxie by the same author so I had high expections for this. I definitely preferred Moxie but I really liked this too. It had a strong message about slut shaming and is something teens of today will relate to. On the back of this and moxie, Jennifer Mathieu is now up there with some of my favourite authors.
We Are Young
Cat Clarke
Cat Clarke
Current kindle price: £2.99
"It starts with a wedding. And a car crash.
On the same night Evan's mother marries local DJ 'Breakfast Tim', Evan's brand-new step-brother Lewis is found unconscious and terribly injured, the only survivor of a horrific car crash.
A media storm erupts, with the finger of blame pointed firmly at loner stoner Lewis. Everyone else seems to think the crash was drugs-related, but Evan isn't buying it. With the help of her journalist dad, Harry, she decides to find out what really happened that night.
As Evan delves deeper into the lives of the three teenagers who died in the crash, she uncovers some disturbing truths and a secret that threatens to tear her family- and the community- apart."
On the same night Evan's mother marries local DJ 'Breakfast Tim', Evan's brand-new step-brother Lewis is found unconscious and terribly injured, the only survivor of a horrific car crash.
A media storm erupts, with the finger of blame pointed firmly at loner stoner Lewis. Everyone else seems to think the crash was drugs-related, but Evan isn't buying it. With the help of her journalist dad, Harry, she decides to find out what really happened that night.
As Evan delves deeper into the lives of the three teenagers who died in the crash, she uncovers some disturbing truths and a secret that threatens to tear her family- and the community- apart."
This was the stand out book for July and it will probably be one of the best books I'll read this whole year. It's only been out for a couple of months so you may not of heard of this yet, but this is definitely a book you need to know about. It deals with mental health in teenagers and I was gripped from the very first chapter. I've read a few of Cat Clarke's book before and I've enjoyed all of them but this is the best by far. I can't recommend it enough.
Alex, Approximately
Jenn Bennett
Current Kindle price: 99p
Jenn Bennett
Current Kindle price: 99p
"Bailey 'Mink' Rydell has met the boy of her dreams. They share a love of films and talk all day- Alex is perfect. Well, apart from the fact that they've never actually met... and neither of them knows the other's real name.
When Bailey moves to California to live with her dad, who happens to live in the same town as Alex, she decides to use her sleuthing skills to find him. But tracking someone down based on online conversations alone proves harder than Bailey thought, and with her irritating but charismatic colleague Porter Roth distracting her at every turn, will she ever get to meet the mysterious Alex?"
When Bailey moves to California to live with her dad, who happens to live in the same town as Alex, she decides to use her sleuthing skills to find him. But tracking someone down based on online conversations alone proves harder than Bailey thought, and with her irritating but charismatic colleague Porter Roth distracting her at every turn, will she ever get to meet the mysterious Alex?"
I feel the same about this as I do about Cross My Heart. Written well but predictable. Even from the synopsis, you can probably already tell that, spoiler, Porter is Alex. I would have found this more interesting to be thrown a curveball and have Alex be someone else entirely.
What were you reading in July? Tell me in the comments so I can check them out please.
Danni
X
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