Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) by Susan Ee

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: August 28th 2012
Publisher: Skyscape
Point of View: 1st Person & Female
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Angels, War-Setting, Dark, Monsters

BLURB:

It’s been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back… Continue reading →

Review: Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel

My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: June 2nd 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person, Female & Alternative
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Friendship, Romance

BLURB:

In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price—young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler—who is presumed dead after an explosion. Authorities find only a bloodied jacket, ID’d as Charlie’s. At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn’t know about their boyfriend. Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London—then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own.

No one knows whom to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.
Continue reading →

Review: Extraordinary by Miriam Spitzer Franklin

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Extraordinary by Miriam Spitzer Franklin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: May 5th 2015
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Point of View: 1st Person & Female
Recommended Age: 9+
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Friendship

BLURB:

Last spring, Pansy chickened out on going to spring break camp, even though she’d promised her best friend, Anna, she’d go. It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. Now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing. So when Pansy discovers that Anna is getting a surgery that might cure her, Pansy realizes this is her chance—she’ll become the friend she always should have been. She’ll become the best friend Anna’s ever had—even if it means taking risks, trying new things (like those scary roller skates), and running herself ragged in the process.

Pansy’s chasing extraordinary, hoping she reaches it in time for her friend’s triumphant return. But what lies at the end of Pansy’s journey might not be exactly what she had expected—or wanted.

Extraordinary is a heartfelt, occasionally funny, coming-of-age middle grade novel by debut author Miriam Spitzer Franklin. It’s sure to appeal to fans of Cynthia Lord’s Rules and will inspire young friends to cherish the times they spend together. Every day should be lived like it’s extraordinary. Continue reading →

Mini Review: Bridge of Snow (Winner’s Trilogy, #0.5) by Marie Rutkoski

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Bridge of Snow by Marie Rutkoski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: January 28th 2014
Publisher: Tor Books
Point of View: 3rd Person
Recommended Age: 11+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Short Story, Fantasy, Love, Mythology

BLURB:

Ignore the stirrings of war. Let the carriage to a royal ball wait. There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her…

Continue reading →

Review: Loving Jay by Renae Kaye

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Loving Jay by Renae Kaye

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: April 18th 2014
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Point of View: 1st Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: New Adult, Contemporary, M/M romance, Humor, Disability

BLURB:

One thing Liam Turner knows for sure is that he’s not gay—after all, his father makes it very clear he’ll allow no son of his to be gay. And Liam believes it, until a chance meeting with James “Jay” Bell turns Liam’s world upside-down. Jay is vivacious and unabashedly gay—from the tips of his bleached hair to the ends of his polished nails. With a flair for fashion, overreaction, and an inability to cork his verbal diarrhea, Liam believes drama queen Jay must have a screw loose.

An accident as a teenager left Liam with a limp and a fear of driving. He can’t play football anymore either, and that makes him feel like less of a man. But that’s no reason to question his sexuality… unless the accident broke something else inside him. When being with Jay causes Liam’s protective instincts to emerge, Liam starts to believe all he knew in life had been a convenient excuse to stay hidden. From intolerance to confrontations, Liam must learn to overcome his fears—and his father—before he can accept his sexuality and truly love Jay. Continue reading →

Review: Weightless by Sarah Bannan

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Weightless by Sarah Bannan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: June 30th 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Point of View: 1st Person Plural
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Bullying, Mental Illness, High School

BLURB:

When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.

Sarah Bannan’s deft use of the first person plural gives Weightless an emotional intensity and remarkable power that will send you flying through the pages and leave you reeling. Continue reading →

Review: No, Not that Jane Austen by Marilyn Grey

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

No, Not that Jane Austen by Marilyn Grey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Author
Publication Date: January 12th 2015
Publisher: Winslet Press
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories

BLURB:

The complete opposite of her parents, Jane doesn’t like reading love stories and can’t stand all things romance, but most especially she hates her name. “No, not that Jane Austen,” she’s said so many times to so many teachers, friends, and strangers, while lamenting the fact that her parents named her after one of their favorite authors, the very author who sparked their own love story.

Jane isn’t looking for a love story, and on the eve of her 18th birthday she happily considers changing her name and finally steering her life away from the self-imposed expectations that come with it, but … she meets a charming British boy on his way back home and everything she’s fought hard to control suddenly becomes irresistible.

Continue reading →

Review: A Whole New World (A Twisted Tale #1) by Liz Braswell

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: September 1st 2015
Publisher: Disney Press
Point of View: 3rd Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance, Magic

BLURB:

Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again. Continue reading →

Review: Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: October 24th 2014
Publisher: Indie
Point of View: 3rd Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: New Adult, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance, Book World

BLURB:

Life can suck…

When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.

Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.

Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.

Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.

Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them? Continue reading →