Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.

In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

My Review:

I SUPER LOVED THIS NOVEL
Any novel that takes place in California in some way is always a win in my book (I am so biased)
I can’t wait for Julie Buxbaum to write another novel.

I started this book while lounging around in the pool. I was house sitting for a friend and was totally taking advantage of the fact that she had an epic pool. I was about to participate in BFest, the first ever nationwide Barnes and Noble teen book fest, and Julie would be on my panel that day. I literally started the book when I got into the pool and nearly finished it by the time I got out. From opening line to the closing sentence, I was hooked, hooked by her writing, her stories and all of her incredible characters. As someone who grew up in California, and went through some hellish years in high school, this felt like reading my own high school diary. I knew so much of what Jessie was going through and I loved every bit of her story.

What I think makes Julie’s book so freakin’ good is the fact that it feels so incredibly real and genuine. She captures that teen voice so well, while also making Jessie feel different and unique at the same time, which is a hard thing to do, both in writing and in life, especially when you’re in high school and trying to fit in. Jessie is someone that you both completely relate to and also wish was your best friend. She is dealing with so much in this book; the death of her mother, the remarriage of her father, a new stepmom and stepbrother, a new school, a mysterious friend, and she just charges forward, even when she wavers, she’s still strong as hell and its what makes me root for her so hard.

I also love that you’re not quite sure where the book is going to go. I know that I kept jumping back and forth on who I hoped Somebody Nobody was! She has you guessing again and again, and it sent my head spinning and made me turn the pages faster because I was just dying to find out who exactly it was. And when I did? I was so happy with the results. Julie wrote a serious page turner, that’s funny and sad, and addicting all at the same time and I FLEW through this book and I really urge all of you to go pick up a copy because I think this book just might be one of my favorites of the year!

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul

June 23, 2016June 22, 20161 Comment

Genre:

Young Adult, shop Contemporary

Pages:

336 pages

Part of a Series?:

Standalone

Release Date:

April 5th, 2016

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

Despite the best of intentions, seventeen-year old, wisecracking Hank Kirby can’t quite seem to catch a break. It’s not that he means to screw things up all the time, it just happens. A lot. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spells “Prom” in sparklers on her lawn…and nearly burns down her house.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Peyton Breedlove, a brooding loner and budding pyromaniac, witnesses the whole thing. Much to Hank’s dismay, Peyton takes an interest in him—and his “work.” The two are thrust into an unusual friendship, but their boundaries are tested when Hank learns that Peyton is hiding some dark secrets, secrets that may change everything he thought he knew about Peyton.

My Review:

I absolutely loved Robin’s debut release and I am so grateful for the Ontario TBF for introducing me, yet again, to awesome authors. I’m afraid I would have never picked up Robin’s book if I hadn’t met the lovely lady herself at TBF.

Moving on, I think Robin wrote an absolutely compelling debut novel. From page one to the very last, I was completely hooked. I think, lately, there has been a sort of repetitive nature to contemporary YA and I’ve really strayed from it because I feel like I’m reading the same stories over and over again, and that the trope of the manic pixie dream girl is starting to just drive me absolutely nuts. It was so refreshing and perfect to have a unique story with two equally awesome characters. It was great to read a story where I really wasn’t sure at all where we’d end up at the last page and I love a story that can surprise me and keep me hooked the entire story. Robin has a fresh voice and a fresh story and this is what will keep readers coming back for more.

I also will say that I laughed so much in this book. There are moments of seriousness for sure, but the voices of Hank and Peyton felt like best friends and they both had moments that had me literally laughing out loud, not just an lol ;) These two are just fantastic and Peyton’s character alone is what kept me addicted to this book from beginning to end.

I think that Robin writes a fantastic debut novel that has all the wonderful things that comes in a really great contemporary YA novel. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, she makes me wonder what is going to happen next, she makes me remember high school, she makes me remember my bad days and how I pushed through them, she makes me remember the first time I fell in love and it felt like the most overwhelming, encompassing feeling in the world. I think that a book that can make you feel all of that is something that you should pay attention to. :)

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

I Read YA Week Interview with Jessica Brody!

May 4, 2016April 3, 2020Leave a comment

It’s that time again! Time for another I Read YA week interview. This interview is with one of my absolute favorites…favorite author, favorite friend, favorite people, favorite period. Jessica Brody is an awesome person and I’m so glad to host her, yet again, on What A Nerd Girl Says!

Also stay tuned to the end of the post to find out more about the giveaway!

Continue reading →

Book Review: Winter Falls by Nicole Maggi

March 18, 2016March 17, 20161 Comment

Genre:

Young Adult, diagnosis Fantasy, discount Romance

Pages:

N/A

Part of a Series?:

First in the Twin Willows Trilogy

Release Date:

December 22nd, 2014

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

Alessia Jacobs is a typical sixteen-year-old, dying to get out of her small town of Twin Willows, Maine. Things look up when a new family comes to town, but when she falls for the hot, mysterious son, Jonah, her life turns upside down.

Weird visions of transforming into an otherworldly falcon are just the beginning. Soon she learns she’s part of the Benandanti, an ancient cult of warriors with the unique power to separate their souls from their bodies and take on the forms of magnificent animals.

Alessia never would’ve suspected it, but her boring town is the site of an epic struggle between the Benandanti and the Malandanti to control powerful magic in the surrounding forest.

As Alessia is drawn into the Benandanti’s mission, her relationship with Jonah intensifies. When her two worlds collide, Alessia’s forced to weigh choices a sixteen-year-old should never have to make.

My Review:

After meeting Nicole recently at the Ontario TBF, and moderating not one, but two panels with her, I knew I had to get my hands on her books. She had so much to share about her series and it sounded so intriguing especially since she had done so much research about the Benandanti, and it just all sounded really awesome. Plus she was so passionate about her books and I just loved Nicole period.

And I’m so glad that TBF, as usual, brought a new author into my life because I truly enjoyed this book. I’ve been in somewhat of a slump lately (as you could probably tell from my lack of reviews) and was pleasantly surprised when I borrowed the ebook from the library and proceeded to devour in the span of one day.

Nicole has a way of capturing your attention immediately from page one until the last. The idea of a normal young girl discovering there’s much more to her own story than she thought is not something we haven’t seen before but I loved the way that Nicole tackled it. Alessia has a very unique power, being able to separate her soul from her body, transform into a falcon and become a part of the Benandanti. But she also shares it with others as well. I liked that. Yes, this was a journey she had to take within herself but she also became part of something bigger than herself and I loved every bit of it. I was rooting for more than just Alessia, I was rooting for her companions and everything that the Benandanti fought for.

But I also love the romance. As someone who usually spends most of her time writing romance, I appreciate a story that can balance some really great fantasy with really great romance and I absolutely love the connection and story between Jonah and Alessia. It feels whimsical, magical, unbelievable, like a fairy tale almost (which is how the story feels at time, in a good way!) but it also feels real, because when you fall in love for the first time, all of those things are so true!

I’m really excited to see what Nicole has done with the first book of this trilogy and even more excited that I don’t have to wait long for the next installments. I just need to get my hands on them to find out what happens next, especially after how the book ended! I had a feeling something…big was going to be revealed but it wasn’t quite the way I had expected and damn, I have no clue of how this is going to play out but I definitely can’t wait to see how its done!

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Power by Jennifer L Armentrout

March 2, 2016March 1, 2016Leave a comment

Genre:

New Adult, order Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Pages:

344 pages

Part of a Series?:

Second in the Titans series, companion to the Covenant series

Release Date:

February 23rd, 2016

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

My Review:

I was so afraid that when I went to read this book, I wouldn’t remember a thing about the first book and I was mostly right about that. I read the ARC of the first book nearly two years ago, so I had forgotten a little bit about what was going on. Luckily, the story picks up quickly and I was caught up fast. I immediately fell back in with Seth and Josie, both of whom I love to death.

What I really loved about this book was the struggle that both of the characters were going through. Seth really is trying so hard to be different than literally what he was born to me. And its a physical struggle for him and there are times when I want to throttle him and there are times when I just want to wrap him in my arms and cuddle him like a little baby. Oh, Seth, he does things to a reader’s emotions, especially since we had gotten to know him so well, as the bad guy, in the Covenant series. But I adore him, and I feel so much sympathy for his struggle, especially since he cares for Josie so insanely much.

Oh, and Josie! This is a girl after my own heart! I love her stubbornness and I love her flaws and I love how she is trying so hard to be a demigod and learn and harness her powers to get ready to fight the Titans but she’s also in love with French fries and she struggles with her feelings for Seth. I love that she’s SO incredibly human, because despite the fact that she’s this great power and she’s intended for great purpose, she’s so relatable. She reminds me of Alex that way.

Which brings me to my FAVORITE part of the whole book, the fact that we get to have Alex and Aidan back! I love the Covenant series so much, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love that series and Alex is one of my favorite characters ever, period, and that series has been so incredibly influential to me. So having them back, both evolved characters from when we knew them in their own series, but also so so…them, was amazing. Any time they were on the page, I did a little happy dance in my chair. I hope to see more of them in the next book!

And the next book! I need it now. Its called The Struggle, which is a fitting title since it doesn’t come out til NEXT YEAR. I don’t like waiting, especially after that incredible ending. I knew something big was coming but what happened was so unexpected and I am dying to find out what happens next!

All in all…another fantastic book by JLA!

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Top Anticipated March Releases!

March 2, 2016March 1, 2016Leave a comment

WHY DO ALL THESE BOOKS COME OUT THE SAME DAY?!?!?!?!

Young Adult

*****

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

The Darkest Artifices #1

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, healing but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: Honestly, with the way the last three TMI books went, you’d think I’d have no desire to read this book. However, CoHF made me seriously love Emma and Julian so much and it does take place basically in my backyard so I’m seriously excited about this book.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands #1

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: I have heard so many amazing and good things in this book and it keeps popping up on my radar. I seriously want this book in my life. Plus this book cover is so freakin’ gorgeous.

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living.

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: This is another book that has been on my radar for the past few weeks. The cover is gorgeous and Jeff and I became friends on various social medias and I love love love the sound of this book, and definitely can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

A Thunder Road Novel #2

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Release Date: March 29th, 2016

My Thoughts: It had taken me a long time to give Nowhere But Here a chance but once I did, I was just so in love. I have never really been into motorcycle gang/family sort of stories but oh wow this one was just so freakin’ good so I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

*****

New Adult

*****

Us by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen

Us #2

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: I loved loved loved the first book so much and I think that Elle and Sarina are two of my favorite NA authors, hands down. They write such great hockey romance and I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on the continuation of Jamie and Wes’s story.

*****

What are some books you’re looking forward to this month? Share in the comments!