Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Book Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publishing Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1442430358
Genre:  YA Contemporary, Romance
Author Page:  http://sarahockler.com/


Summary:  Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been.      So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life--and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
     It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Review:  Cupcakes, Figure-skating, and Hockey.  What a combination - but it works!!!!  The format of the book - with cupcakes as chapter headings - how ingenious!  The names and descriptions of the cupcake "titles" definitely matched the story-line of each chapter.  

Bittersweet is such a sweet story - literally - pun intended.  You get drawn into each character. Hudson - our protagonist has so much going on in her life - the diner, figure-skating, her family, her friends, the boys - where does she start, and where does she end.  She struggles so much to make the right decisions, for herself and for those she cares about.  The hockey boys - what a refreshing look.  I usually hate athletic boys in stories - so cocky and full of themselves.  While there was a little of this, the author showed us a side of them that made me actually like each one.  

I just loved how so much was wrapped up into this story.  It was a quick and easy read, but kept me wanting for more.  I could not put it down once I started.  I was wrapped up in Hudson's life, that I still feel myself drawn back in and thinking about it.  




Monday, January 9, 2012

Book Review: Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker


Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
Publisher:  Little Brown Books Young Readers
Date Published:  01/02/2012
ISBN:  9780316125062
Genre:  YA Contemporary



It's the first day of high school for Ricky Jo, and she wants to recreate herself to fit in.  She will be a new-kid at school even though she has always lived in Breckinridge, KY (she has attending Catholic school until now).  As they are cutting tobacco, she tells her best friend Luke that he is to call her Ericka at school, it is more mature.

As Ericka tries so hard to make new friends:  trying out for cheerleader, wearing different clothes, doing/saying things she would not normally say, she runs the risk of losing her old friends.  Is it worth it?  Ericka needs to make some hard choices in this time of growing up.

This was an awesome read.  It captured me from page one.  I could truly relate to what was happening - even through it has been several years since I was a freshman in high school.  I grew up in a small town and remember struggling with similar decisions as Ricky Jo.

If you enjoy coming-of-age novels, and crush/romance story-lines, you will totally get into this book.  Every high school girl should read this book.

Still not sure, check out this trailer:


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