Cracked

by K.M. Walton

Sometimes there’s no easy way out.
Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn’t stop Bull’s grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there’s no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….

I had my eye on this book for a while before I got my hands on a copy.  Honestly it was like fate brought us together — I won it in a contest. 

One thing I absolutely love about this book is that you feel completely connected to both characters.  Both Victor and Bull have things about them that are bad, and both have things about them that are heartbreaking.  Seriously, I must have spent more time near tears while reading this book than not.

Walton’s writing is so full of voice, and so true to these characters, it’s easy to forget that they are just characters in a book.

The whole time I was reading I couldn’t decide how this could possibly end well.  There is so much bad in these boy’s lives that sometimes I had to shut it and sit it down because I would be so very angry.  Not at the book, but at people in general — at life.  At the realization that things like this happen every single day around us and we never pay attention.

This is a moving story that is guaranteed to stick with you long after you’ve set it aside.  I highly recommend picking up a copy.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. She’s stuck at JFK, late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s in seat 18C. Hadley’s in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

What drew me to this book was the cover in all honesty.  It’s very attention grabbing with the black and white and red, and of course the still couple in a heart amidst a hustling crowd sets it apart too.

I have to say, the cover and title of this book really do sum it up quite nicely.

This is written in third-person, present-tense and that threw me for a loop to start with, but it really allows the story to develop in a cool way.  The characters are adorable (and Oliver is 100% swoon-worthy).  Reading this I found myself grinning from ear to ear during some of their conversations.  They are just so sweet and so realistic it’s…fantastic.

Jennifer Smith has a real knack for dialogue.  Never once did it feel stilted or forced.

One thing I loved about this book was how quick and easy of a read it was.  The language is smooth and elegant, and the story just zooms right past without you even realizing it.

If you’re a fan of contemporary YA or romances in general, I feel sure you’ll fall in love with this one.

Have you read it?  What did you think?

Shatter Me

by Tahereh Mafi

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

SHATTER ME is one of those books that has gotten a rather huge amount of buzz in the last year.  To be honest, it’s one of the ones I was scared to read for fear of disappointment.  You know how that goes.

BUT, good news.  It. Was. AMAZING.

Not only is the story fast-paced and heart-racing intense, but it’s so beautiful.  Mafi’s writing is absolutely exquisite.

You have to give it a chance though.  It did take me about a chapter to fall into the rhythm of Mafi’s writing.  It’s different.  There are strikeouts and poetic bits that do take some adjusting to, but oh.  Oh, once you do.

And the romance?  It’s more than swoon, it’s positively melt your socks hot.  HA!

I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that this is a book I’ll read again and again.  Not to mention that I cannot wait for the next installment.

Have you read it?  What did you all think?

Also!  We have another review from the SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY ARC Tour!

The lovely Katy Upperman says, “A scant pinch of historical + a few shakes of steam punk + a generous dollop of horror (spirits and zombies — oh my!) = Something Strange and Splendid.”