We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist

Title: We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story
Author: Josh Sundquist
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date:December 23rd 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 304 pages
Source: BEA 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
A bright, poignant, and deeply funny autobiographical account of coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor, from Josh Sundquist: Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker.


Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.
For twenty-three hours.
In eighth grade.

Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?

The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.

Review

There were a couple reasons why We Should Hang Out Sometime (WSHOS) was not on my radar and, even after I got it, why I was quite skeptical to read it. I pretty much do not ever read non-fiction, I love the fiction world's stories and non-fiction is just not for me, let alone a non-fiction-y memoir about dating. But I am so glad I gave it a chance. I had the pleasure of meeting Josh at BEA and getting a signed copy of the book. I started reading it that day while I was waiting in lines and I was hooked!

So I am going to give you 5 reasons to give this one a try:

1. It is funny. Laugh out loud funny. The conversations Josh has with himself in his head cracked me up!
2. It’s a non-fiction-y memoir. It is something totally different that is geared to YA.
3. There are pictures, drawings, and funny charts!
4. It is full of awkward greatness. The awkwardness in all the stories just propels the book and has you flying through the pages. The story is told through failed relationship analysis. It’s a different way to tell a story but it works perfectly.
5. We Should Hang Out Sometime has a great message, great ending, and great story. Even though I wanted more chapters, and a longer ending chapter, I thought the ending fit. 

WSHOS is a laugh out loud story about Josh’s failed relationships. You can’t help but sympathize and remember your own awkward experiences. I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for something uplifting and totally different!

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Title:Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date:September 23rd 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 398 pages
Source: BEA 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
You don't know what you must give up to become a witch.

Avery Roe wants only to claim her birthright as the witch of Prince Island and to make the charms that have kept the island's sailors safe at sea for generations, but instead she is held prisoner by her mother in a magic-free life of proper manners and respectability.

Avery thinks escape is just a matter of time, but when she has a harrowing nightmare, she can see what it means: She will be killed. She will be murdered. And she's never been wrong before.

Desperate to change her future, Avery finds a surprising ally in Tane—a tattooed harpoon boy with magic of his own, who moves her in ways she never expected. But as time runs out to unlock her magic and save herself, Avery discovers that becoming a witch requires unimaginable sacrifice.

Avery walks the knife's edge between choice and destiny in Kendall Kulper's sweeping debut: the story of one girl's fight to survive the rising storm of first love and family secrets.

Review

Salt & Storm sweeps you into the old world of the American Northeast where whaling was a way of life, as were witches.  Avery Roe is destined to become a witch just like every other woman in her family. She is destined to protect the sailors and whale hunters. She has her future planned out, that is until her mother traps her.

The book starts off quite strong, introducing the way of life for the townspeople and how the witches play a role in their safety.  The setting and mood are very well done, I felt immediately drawn into this old New England way of life and wanted to know more about the Roe witches.  The reader is also quickly introduced to the love interest in the story, a nice bonus was that it was not a love triangle, instead it was a powerful relationship that development into a strong first love.

The plot pacing was great for the first half of the story but as time progressed it seemed to lose steam. Parts started to drag and with a potential ending disclosed in the beginning (and in the synopsis) it was easy to start to lose interest and guess at how Avery's destiny was going to play out.

Overall, I am not the biggest fan of the ending or the other relationships within the book.  The secondary characters are hardly developed and do not play large roles at all.  Salt & Storm had high potential and lived up to it in parts but not everywhere.  I recommend it with some hesitation,.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series by Laini Taylor

DoSaB on Goodreads

DoBaS on Goodreads

DoGaM on Goodreads

Review

When I realized that Ashley and I had not yet reviewed this series on our blog I knew I needed to remedy that. You see, this is one of my most favorite series ever. And I don't give that distinction out easily.  I am obsessed with every one of these books and this story as a whole. In my eyes, they are perfection.

Laini Taylor tells a beautiful story, and she tells it brilliantly. The story is unlike any I have ever read.  It is not your typical angel story at all. It is not your typical anything. I was captivated by the war between Seraphim and Chimera. I grew to love the Chimera first, and later the Seraphim. I was completely and utterly invested in the hope of peaceful future. I found myself consumed by the connection between Akiva and Karou. Their history fascinated me. And all that they had to overcome to be together pulled on my heartstrings. This story had so many emotions at war with each other - love, hate, hope, despair, action, passivity, comfort, fear - it was a roller coaster of feeling. 

Laini Taylor's writing is impressive. The words just flow together and create something delicate and passionate and purposeful. She leaves me in awe and craving more words. And I love the fullness of the story. Laini Taylor does not sacrifice even the smallest detail and although that adds length to the story and slows the pace, it was right for this. Everything comes full circle in the end. The ending was complete and fulfilling and flawless. 

It is rare that I love a set of characters so completely and I  love these characters to my core (except for the bad guys obviously). I didn't think it was possible to care so deeply for so many. Karou is inspiring. Akiva is passionate. Zuzana is vivacious. Mik is romantic. Ziri is resilient. Liraz is devoted. Brimstone is timeless. I could go on and on. This story has one of the most diverse, complex,  delightful, and spirited set of characters that is sure to win you over. 

I can't say enough positive things about Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. It is magical, captivating, emotional, suspenseful, unpredictable, fulfilling, beautiful, hopeful, romantic, intense. I recommend this one without reservation. I love it to pieces. 

REVIEW: Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Title: Roomies
Author: Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Pages: 288
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:
It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

Roomies is a really great story that I think many will connect with. Maybe, like me, you'll reflect back on your own college roommate experience, or maybe you'll look ahead and think about that day to come. Maybe you'll even learn a thing or two. A lot can change in the time leading up to and after you leave for college - friends, significant others, family, scenery, habits - and Roomies does a great job of capturing it all. And with the POVs of both Elizabeth and Lauren - two very different girls leading very different lives - readers get to experience 2x the change. It's a wonderfully well-rounded, relevant story and I had a lot of fun reading it.

The variety in Roomies was my favorite thing about the story, but there were so many other admirable details. I loved that the girls didn’t see eye to eye on everything. They actually had a few disagreements and had to work through some of their differences. I appreciated this so much because the odds of getting along perfectly with someone you are randomly paired with are slim and I thought it was honest of the girls to voice their opinions even if it would be easier to just agree.

I also loved the part that email played in this story. Elizabeth reaches out to Lauren through email when she first learns they are paired together as roomies and that is how they communicate throughout the book. The chapters alternate POVs and in almost every chapter, weaved into the rest of the story, the email chain is continued. And it just so happened that they both needed each other to talk to, someone separate from their everyday lives that they could open up to who would maybe understand. They took risks and shared pieces of themselves and they grew closer that way.

However, at the end of the day, Roomies didn't leave quite the impression on me as it seems to have left on everyone else. I think it's a strong contemporary and a worth-while read but it didn’t pack the feels for me as some of my other favorite contemporaries. But I don’t mean to say it is any less great or memorable. I do recommend this one.

ARC-REVIEW: Unbreakable (The Legion #1) by Kami Garcia

Title: Unbreakable
Series: The Legion #1
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 1st 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 320 pages
Source: ARC from BEA

Summary from Goodreads:
Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

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• Unbreakable was a pretty fast read, there is a whole lot going on.  The chapters were suspenseful and full of action.  
• Legion.  The entire premise was interesting and enjoyable.  As mentioned above, you can see the parallels to the Da Vinci Code like plot.  While I did enjoy the similarities I felt it was still lacking in development.  

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• Unbreakable was a little bit out there.  I can accept supernatural books and even would consider it one of my favorite genres but I like it to be well done.  The execution of the plot was weak and I felt like the supernatural elements lacked substance.    
• The romance felt forced and unnecessary.  
• Lastly, I felt that the story line was rather forced.  The drama/main focus in the story was a stretch.  Now I am not a huge mythology person so it may in fact be following the actual myth but Awaken just seemed to be a book there to simply end the character's story.  
• The characters had a young and sometimes immature voice that I just could not overlook.  It just dragged my opinion of them down and made it hard to truly root for the characters. 

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Unbreakable was a blend of crazy spirit/ghost hunters and secret societies. Parts reminded me of Tomb Raider.  The whole idea is definitely intriguing but I felt the characters were mediocre and the romance and supernatural aspects were lacking.