Book Club: YA Book Club - JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman

The March 2013 selection over at Tracey Neithercott's YA Book Club is Just One Day by Gayle Forman.  This is the first month I am participating in this book club, after I did some Googling and found out about it by chance.  Below is my review of the book and you can find a discussion of this book on her blog, which was on March 26, 2013 and I will admit my post is a few days late.  

4 out of 5 hearts

I read this book solely because it was the pick of this book club.  I had heard of it prior to that but I didn't have any intention or interest in reading it for the sake of it.  I read it and it was great!  That's the point of book clubs - to read or find books you wouldn't normally read!  It is New Adult.

Allyson Healey just graduated from high school and is traveling across Europe as part of a teen tour expedition that was given to her as a graduations present by her parents.  Honestly, she is bored and is not enjoying her self as much.  The one place she wanted to go to - Paris - had to be taken off the tour list because of a strike.  At the last stop of the tour in Stratford-upon-Avon, Allyson and her best friend Melanie, aka Mel, meet Willem, tall, quirkly handsome, and Dutch.  He convinces them to ditch going to see Hamlet performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company for an amateur performance of Twelfth Night by Guerrilla Will, a group of actors that perform free shows in the street for the masses.  The next day, Allyson and Mel are on a train headed to London and coincidentally  Willem is on the train too.  He has a magnetic pull and lures Allyson to let go of her inhibitions and join him on a one day trip to Paris.  Allyson becomes Lulu on this trip, an outgoing, fearless, and beautiful girl.  The impromptu trip to Paris turns out to be the time of a lifetime, until the next morning when Allyson wakes up to find that Willem is gone.  This pushes Allyson and comes back to the U.S. completely lost and transforms into a hermit overnight.  

Her first year of college comes and she is still stuck in the tragedy of Paris, forgetting to revel in the college experience.  Her friendships and family relationships falter and she is a shadows that moves along her college campus.  Ironically, she registers for a Shakespeare class in an attempt to live a little and things turn for the better.  She begins to make friends and she has something to look forward to.  She has a sudden epiphany and realizes she must go back to Paris to find Willem and get closure.  For the rest of her freshman year in college and the summer that follows, she prepares herself for the inevitable meeting with Willem.  She transforms into the lively person she could be and gains independence from her pain.  The day comes, she's in Paris, and she is looking for him.  And for herself.

My expectations for this book were pretty low.  I thought it was going to be about a corny heartbreak.  It definitely superseded my expectations and turned out to be a coming of age story.  It helped that I have never been to Paris, and it is the ONE place on earth I really, really want to see.  As Allyson (or Lulu) starts taking risks again and decides to live a little, I took note.  My roommate Ciara and I bought plane tickets on a whim...to Paris....for a 10-day trip!  And, we are also visiting Amsterdam.  For some reason, this book found a little part of me and made me live vicariously through Allyson while I was reading it.  Maybe my perception of it is bias for this reason alone, but humor me.

As you are reading it, I will say that you have to take into account that this book focuses on Allyson and her struggle to find herself.  Although the premise revolves around Willem, Forman keeps develops the plot Allyson alone.  I'm sure you will want more info on Willem, but Forman doesn't provide all you want and keeps it aligned with Allyson's personal journey, which I appreciated after I finished it.  

Give it a chance!

-Mariela

“Sometimes the best way to find out what you’re supposed to do is by doing the thing you’re not supposed to do.” - Gayle Forman, Just One Day

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published January 8th 2013 by Dutton Juvenile

ISBN 0525425918 (ISBN13: 9780525425915)

Edition language:  English

Cover Reveal: OF SILVER AND BEASTS by Trisha Wolfe

Of Silver and Beasts (A Goddess Wars Novel) by Trisha Wolfe

Release Date: June 1, 2013

Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound
Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

Author Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:
In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

***EXCERPT***

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface.
But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone.
“Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words.
He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.”
A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart.
When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.”
“No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so.
He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs.
Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him.
“Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—”
“Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.”
“Is that the rumor in Perinya?”
“What?”
I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.”
From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.”
My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.”
“All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.”
“Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.”
His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.”
I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.”
Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.”
Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”

***GIVEAWAY***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Cover Reveal for STRIPPED by Brooklyn Skye

Stripped by Brooklyn Skye 

Release Date: 05/14/13

Cover designed by: Lisa Poff Photography

Cover reveal organized by: YA Bound

Summary from Goodreads:
“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t…waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.” 
“No.”
I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister  made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a  local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the  real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think.  But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is  connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

About the Author: 

Brooklyn Skye is an author, editorial intern, and just your average awkward girl

(especially on the phone!).  Her new adult debut, STRIPPED, releases May 2013!

Follow Brooklyn at:

Website * Twitter * Goodreads

Click HERE to sign up to participate in the blog tour for Stripped.

***GIVEAWAY***

Enter below to win a signed hardcopy of STRIPPED (if U.S. winner) or an e-copy with Authorgraph (if international winner)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Review for THE UNDESIRABLE by S. Celi

4 out of 5 hearts

Contrary to popular belief, self-published e-books do not all suck.  There are some diamonds in the rough.  As a part of Young Adult Novel Reader's The Undesirable blog tour, I committed to reading and reviewing this ebook.  It took me three days to read it - only because I have to sleep, eat, and work.  Is that enough to demonstrate how hooked it had me?

The year is 2072.  The U.S. is in the middle of a brutal war against Canada, spurred by the vast depletion of oil.  Anne Phillips was elected as the first female president and was assassinated by a radical group led by the Speaker of the House, Maxwell Cooper.  Not only was she killed, two-thirds of her cabinet were annihilated, yet Cooper was never tried for his crimes.  Instead, he led a political uproar and became the Supreme Leader of the U.S., an evil tyrant and Commander In-Chief of The Party.  The Party's primary goal is to spread perfection over the United States by eliminating undesirables:  the old, the weak, the ill.  Innocent citizens are killed left and right if they do not fit the criteria set forth by The Party.  Those who live, live hungry and afraid every second of each day.  

Charlotte Walker is 18 years old.  She lives in a small town in Ohio with her alcoholic mom.  Things are only getting worse.  The invisible miracle of love finds it way to Charlotte as it magnetizes her to Faustino Sanchez, a soldier of The Party.  Charlotte does not approve of The Party, yet her bond with Faustino grows as they days pass, despite their opposing political views.  He is the only thing keeping her sane.  But, all good things must come to an end.  Charlotte finds out about a dreadful secret, which proves that she is the ultimate undesirable and becomes the most hunted person in the U.S.  If she thought her life was bad before, it is really bad now.  She must choose between her happiness and the hope of an entire country.  

I had a good time reading this.  It had a ton of action that had me glued to my ereader.  An issue I had, which separated this from a 5 heart to a 4 heart review, was that an important facet of this story was centered around Charlotte's relationships - with her mother, with Faustino, with her environment.  These relationships are very superficial, like they were brushed over.  I would've liked for Celi to dredge up Charlotte's soul; while I did understand how Charlotte felt, I felt that I was reading about her instead of reading through her.  So, I felt she was very detached, even though the emphasis of  these relationships and emotions built the plot.  One other thing was that there were two instances in which the suspense was given away.  In some of the dialogue,  upcoming situations were given away and caused the suspense to wither.  I would've enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen until it did.  

Like I said, I was hooked.  Celi is a great story teller and this book proves it.  It was like watching an action film through words.  It is the first of the Undesirable series.  I am soooo ready for book #2!

Buy it and read it!

-Mariela

The Undesirable (Undesirable #1) by S. Celi

Kindle Edition, 210 pages

Published January 28th 2013 by Kindle Direct Publishing

Edition language:  English

Blog Tour: Book Watch for THE UNDESIREABLE by S. Celi

The Undesirable by S. Celi, is a Mature Young Adult/New Adult book that released on January 28, 2013 exclusively through Kindle Direct Publishing.  It is the first book of the Undesirable series.

If you read and enjoyed Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me, this book is for you.  It has the love story, the action, the hard choices between good and happiness, etc.

Here's the official synopsis:

What if everything you knew turned out to be a lie?

Charlotte Walker knows how to live under the rule of The Party. She has managed for 18 years. She helps out her drunken mother and keeps life going at a familiar, steady pace. She doesn’t ask questions, even though she has many of them in her heart.

Fostino Sanchez knows how to live under the rule of The Party, too. For 19 years, he’s worked to be the perfect Party member. He knows what must be done to keep Maxwell Cooper in power, and how find the The Undesirables that threaten to take away everything that matters.

As the months go by, what matters most to Fostino is Charlotte Walker.

While their love blooms, danger comes to Charlotte and Fostino’s small hometown of Harrison Corners, OH. Threats they never knew existed could take away all that they care about. And just when these two teens think they know what will come next, Charlotte learns the truth about a secret she has long suspected.

What Charlotte finds out changes everything. 

EVERYTHING. 

THE UNDESIRABLE is Charlotte Walker’s story, from her point of view. It is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of love, curiosity, adversity, and maturity against the backdrop of a futuristic war.

Should Charlotte trust Fostino with what she knows? Can she trust anyone? Will she find it in herself to rise up against terrible odds? What if the ultimate Undesirable is her?

Still not convinced you need to read it?  Watch the trailer:

What are you waiting for?  Pull out your wallet and spend the $1.99.  Your Kindle is begging for it!  Get it here.

But if you are still hesitant, don't worry.  I am reading it myself and I will post a review on March 4th.  

-Mariela

The Undesirable by S. Celi

Kindle Edition, 210 pages

Published January 28th 2013 by Kindle Direct Publishing

Edition language:  English

Book Watch: THE CIRQUE by Ryann Kerekes

The Cirque by Ryann Kerekes is expected to release on March 2, 2013.

I love finding books randomly.  I found out about this book through a random Google search.  I checked out the reviews on Goodreads, and they make me want to read it even more.

It sounds like a young adult version of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which I loved.  However, instead of it being about the guy falling in love with the unattainable girl, it is a girl falling in love with a mysterious guy with a wretched past.  From my understanding, it is about a goodie-two-shoes that is trying to find her independent place in the world.  She winds up the cirque and begins an organic romance with a guy that carries a lot of baggage.  Essentially, they balance each other out and unintentionally show the each other the meanings of life.

Goodreads summarizes it as:

Eighteen-year-old ballerina Ariel is determined to experience life outside the dance studio. She auditions for the cirque on a whim, and though ballet training didn’t prepare her for dodging knives, she refuses to flinch and wins the spot of target girl alongside Gabriel, the mysterious knife-thrower. There’s something unmistakably dangerous yet tempting about Gabriel’s crystal blue eyes and tattoos. She’s determined to solve the mystery of his past after learning he’s on the run from the law. Especially since the distraction is just what she needs to avoid admitting to her parents she was dismissed from her ballet contract.

The more she learns about Gabriel, the scars on his body, the foster homes he grew up in, and his fascination with knives, she knows she should run the other way, but that boy’s like crack, oh so bad for you, yet addicting as hell. When he’s arrested and forced to deal with his past, she has to choose between putting her own life back together and dealing with her parents, or taking a chance on Gabriel, as no one else has.

The Cirque is a contemporary new adult romance.

I am most excited to read about the beautiful relationship the reviews are raving about, as well as the setting. There is so much action in a cirque and I want to see Kerekes' portrayal of the performers, behind the scenes action, everything that makes up a cirque.  Is the cirque a character of its own or is it merely a place?  I am interested to see the cirque in relation to the protagonists' relationship.  It is a metaphor, it is the place where they feel most united/at home, or is it a place of distress?

Kerekes even has a playlist for it!

Definitely on my to-read shelf.

-Mariela

The Cirque by Ryann Kerekes
265 pages
Expected publication: March 2nd 2013