Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Edelweiss
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Summer, Animals, Romance, Family, Friendship

BLURB:

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing – if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

Review: Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn

Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: August 1st 2016
Publisher: Switch Press
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Bullying, High School, Self-Confidence

BLURB:

Chelsea Duvay is so many things. She s an avid musical lover, she s a gifted singer, and she has the most perfect, beautiful feet. But no one ever notices that. All they notice is Chelsea s weight. Daily, Chelsea endures endless comments about her appearance from well-meaning adults and cruel classmates. So she keeps to herself and just tries to make it through. Don t make waves. Don t draw attention. That s how life is for Chelsea until a special class project pushes the energetic and incessantly social Melody into Chelsea s world. As their unlikely friendship grows, Chelsea emerges from her isolated existence, and she begins to find the confidence to enjoy life. But bullies are bullies, and they remain as vicious as ever. One terrible encounter threatens to destroy everything Chelsea has worked so hard to achieve. Readers will be captivated by Chelsea s journey as she discovers the courage to declare her own beauty and self-worth, no matter what others might think. A must-read for anyone who loves to explore the personal but powerful territory of everyday life.”

Review: Paper and Fire (The Great Library, #2) by Rachel Caine

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: July 5th 2016
Publisher: NAL
Point of View: 3rd Person
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Steampunk, Books about Books

BLURB:

In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…

Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Library
Publication Date: first published 1897
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Point of View: 1st Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 16+
Genres &  Themes: Adult, Classics, Vampires, Gothic

BLURB:

The aristocratic vampire that haunts the Transylvanian countryside has captivated readers’ imaginations since it was first published in 1897. Hindle asserts that Dracula depicts an embattled man’s struggle to recover his “deepest sense of himself as a man”, making it the “ultimate terror myth”.

Review: The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson

The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Edelweiss
Publication Date: June 7th 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 10+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Sports, High School, Gymnastics, Romance, Friendship, Contemporary

BLURB:

From gold medalist and reality TV star Shawn Johnson comes a debut YA novel inspired by her own experiences as an elite teenage gymnast—just in time for the Summer 2016 Olympic games.

Charlie Ryland has a secret.

She may seem like your average high school sophomore—but she’s just really good at pretending.

Because outside of school Charlie spends all her waking hours training to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. And it’s not easy flying under the radar when you’re aiming for Olympic gold…especially when an irresistible guy comes along and threatens to throw your whole world off balance.

Inspired by her own experiences as a fifteen-year-old Olympic gymnast, gold medalist Shawn Johnson writes a delightfully entertaining novel about chasing big dreams and falling in love, all while trying to keep it real.

Critique: Stupeur et tremblements par Amélie Nothomb

Stupeur et tremblements par Amélie Nothomb

Ma note: 4 de 5 étoiles
Reçu: Emprunté
Publication: 1999
Maison de publication: Le livre de poche
Point de vue: 1ère personne et Féminine
Âge recommandé: 16+
Genres &  Thèmes: Adulte, Satire, Contemporain

Résumé:

Au début des années 90, la narratrice est embauchée par Yumimoto, une puissante firme japonaise. Elle va découvrir à ses dépens l’implacable rigueur de l’autorité d’entreprise, en même temps qu les codes de conduite, incompréhensibles au profane, qui gouvernent la vie sociale au pays du Soleil levant.

D’erreurs en maladresses et en échecs, commence alors pour elle, comme dans un mauvais rêve, la descente inexorable dans les degrés de la hiérarchie, jusqu’au rang de surveillante des toilettes, celui de l’humiliation dernière. Une course absurde vers l’abîme – image de la vie -, où l’humour percutant d’Amélie Nothomb fait mouche à chaque ligne.

Entre le rire et l’angoisse, cette satire des nouveaux despotismes aux échos kafkaïens a conquis un immense public et valu à l’auteur d’Hygiène de l’assassin le Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française en 1999.

Review: The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Borrowed
Publication Date: 1942
Publisher: Vintage International
Point of View: 1st Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 16+
Genres &  Themes: Adulr, Classic, Life, Psychological

BLURB:

Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”

Short Review: Sex Criminals, Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

Sex Criminals, Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop by Matt Fraction

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Borrowed
Publication Date: February 25th 2015
Publisher: Image Comics
Point of View: 1st Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 16+
Genres &  Themes: Adulr, Comics, Graphic Novels

BLURB:

The second storyline from the Eisner-award winning SEX CRIMINALS finds the honeymoon to be over for Jon and Suzie. Once the thrill of new lust fades, where do you go? Come along and laff and love with Matt and Chip as they brimp back ceaselessly against the past.

Collects SEX CRIMINALS # 6-10.

Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

When We Collided by Emery Lord

My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Received: ARC
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Point of View: 1st Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness

BLURB:

We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

Review: The Deal (Off-Campus, #1) by Elle Kennedy

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: February 24th 2015
Publisher: Indie
Point of View: 1st Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 16+
Genres &  Themes: New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, College, Romance, Sports, Hockey

BLURB:

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.