YA Fiction

The Way It Hurts by Patty Blount

In Patty Blount’s THE WAY IT HURTS, two teens’ quest for fame goes terribly wrong when a single tweet goes viral and the online backlash follows them into real life. Fans of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay will like how main characters Elijah and Kristen bond over their music in this edgy, real world contemporary young adult read that examines the impact social media has on the lives of today’s youth.

About The Book

Title: The Way It Hurts

Author: Patty Blount

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: August 1, 2017

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 352 pages

Format: Paperback and Digital

Print ISBN: 978-1-492632-788

Digital ASIN: B06XR172ZD

There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there’s only one way to set things right…

Music is Elijah’s life. His band plays loud and hard, and he’ll do anything to get them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who has special needs. So he’d rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a musical in the next town…until the lead starts to sing.

Kristen dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother’s. She knows she needs an edge to get into a competitive theater program–and being the star in her high school musical isn’t going to cut it. The applause and the attention only encourage her to work harder.

Elijah can’t take his eyes off of Kristen’s performance, and snaps a photo of her in costume that he posts online with a comment that everybody misunderstands. It goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both could have ever imagined because these threats don’t stay online…they follow them into real life.

About The Author

Native New Yorker Patty Blount is the award-winning author of several critically acclaimed internet issues novels for teens as well as a few adult contemporary romances. She is inspired to write by such greats as Judy Blume, JK Rowling, and Gayle Forman. In fact, Judy Blume is the reason Patty elected to write under her real name…so she’d appear on shelves next to her idol. Patty adores writing; she’s written everything from technical manuals to song lyrics (see THE WAY IT HURTS, coming August 2017). Patty wants you to know she loves chocolate…really, really loves chocolate.

When not crushing on actors Gilles Marini or Sam Heughan, Patty can be found sitting in traffic somewhere on the Long Island Expressway, listening to audio books or talking wildly to herself about plots and characters. Prone to falling madly in love with fictional characters, Patty suffers frequent broken hearts when they all invariably prefer the heroine to her… go figure. When she’s not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies and live tweet the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases.

Connect with Patty:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub

Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

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Stray by Joni Johnson

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Stray by Joni Johnson was a good book, but I did notice several things in this book that bothered me. This biggest thing that bugged me was that she spelled Vance’s last name two different ways and she does that throughout the entire book. On one page it will be spelled as Larson, and on the next page, it will be spelled, Larsen.   I also did find a few places where a word was misspelled as well. Even saying all of that I really did like this book and I was sad when I was finished with the book because I fell in love with Lila and Vance. This book is in a genre that I don’t usually read because I usually can’t get interested in them but this book was different. I really enjoyed this author writing and her characters. If you love YA books or are looking for something fun to read this summer, I would for sure recommend this book to you. This book would also be perfect for teenagers, and it is one that I think most teens would relate too.

About The Book

Lila Baxter, 17, is abandoned at a gas station in a small town when her father, who was taking her to live with her grandmother, had a lapse in sobriety. Lila is left alone, unsure of where she is, with no money, and no cell phone. Gas station cashier Vance Larson, 18, offers to help the unwanted girl. And how does Lila repay him? By unwittingly unhinging Vance’s whole life. Fixing the trouble, she’s caused is next to impossible. And will any of it matter when her father returns?

About The Author

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada to two wonderful parents along with ten other amazing people.  I attended three years of college in Utah before deciding to serve a mission for my church which took me to Florida.  After my return eighteen months later, I married my wonderful and intelligent husband.  And now ump-teen years later my husband and I have four bright and beautiful children, we have converted our public school lives to homeschool lives, and have uprooted from Vegas for my husband’s (mind-boggling, confusing, and I don’t understand computers a bit) work to Idaho.  And there you have it; my life in synopsis.  Sorry, I don’t know the ending yet, but that will come much, much later.

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Sovereignty by Anjenique Hughes

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Sovereignty by Anjenique Hughes was a good book. Whenever I read books like this one I find that I am always comparing these books to the book “1984 by George Orwell”. I have always felt that books never quite measured up to that book but I really enjoyed this book so it is one that I would read again just like I would read 1984 over and over again. I liked this book right from the first page because I was left wanting to know what was going to happen and how things would work out in this book. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I wasn’t able to figure out what was going to happen, so I was always left wondering what was up next. If you love dystopian type books, I am sure you will love this book as much as I do.

About The Book

Book Title: Sovereignty by Anjenique Hughes
Category: YA fiction, 262 pages
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Release date: July 19, 2016
Tour dates: May 15 to June 2, 2017
Content Rating: PG (No F-words, no sexual content, only one kissing scene and mild profanity)

I used to think I knew all the answers; now I no longer even know the questions. – Goro

Under the totalitarian reign of the 23rd century’s world’s government- The Sovereign Regime- control is made possible by the identity chip implanted in every human being, recording everything that is seen, done, and experienced.

No more bank accounts.
No more smart phones.
No more secrets.

When Goro inadvertently overhears an exchange of sensitive information, causing him to confront the truth about his world and prompting him to choose his true loyalties, his dream of revolution kicks into high gear. Goro doesn’t know he has covert intel in his possession both the SR and the resistance movement are desperate to acquire.

Determined to attempt the impossible task of bringing down the world government, he and his closest friends gain access to the key to ultimately deciding who has sovereignty.

But who will get to Goro first: The resistance or the Sovereign Regime?

 

About The Author

With master’s degrees in education, special education, and counseling, Anjenique “Jen” Hughes is a high school English and math teacher who loves teaching and mentoring young people. She enjoys traveling and has worked with youth on five continents. Saying she is “young at heart” is an understatement; she is fluent in sarcasm, breaks eardrums with her teacher voice (students have complained when they were within earshot), and cracks sarcastic jokes with the best of her students. Her work with ethnically and socioeconomically diverse youth has inspired her to write books that appeal to a broad variety of students seeking stories of bravery, perseverance, loyalty, and success.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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A Terrifying Bike Ride and a Clue to the Missing Girl by Greta Kay

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

A Terrifying Bike Ride and a Clue to the Missing Girl by Greta Kay was a super weird book that I couldn’t get into.  It is a shorter book, so it didn’t take that long to read it, but even as I sit here now I am still confused about what the hell went on during that book.  It was an okay book just not what I expected or something I would usually pick up to read.  This would be a good book for teens or tweens but not for adults.

About The Book

A story of intrigue, an unsolved mystery, a warning ignored–draws the reader into the lives of Becca Nelson and Leigh Wilcox, who stumble into the center of a dark plot.

Is Think Tank Axis #1 an undercover organization bent on controlling the minds of teens? Do the points in the survey questions start them down a path of doubting their family life? Becca Nelson surmises this as fact. She confides her suspicion to Logan who listens, but is not alarmed.

Do your parents give you choices on everyday decisions?

Is the culture of your parents old fashioned and irrelevant to teens of today?

Do you believe your parents are fair to you?

Would you like to plan your future without other’s opinions?

Do you tell your parents everything?

I have to keep myself out of trouble. I don’t have a dad to defend me, one that will always take my side. And Mom wouldn’t know what to do if she had to get me out of trouble. I can’t waste my time on trying to be popular. I discarded that goal long ago. I saw what happens to those kids whose friends didn’t know the definition of loyalty. Popularity is like a swinging door, in one day, out the next. Too many tears and heartbreaks for those once-upon-a-time popular kids.

On their bike ride, the girls capture an injured magpie and nurse him back to health, eventually releasing him back to the wild, not realizing they would meet again.

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Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall was a super interesting book.  Once I started this book I didn’t want to stop reading it until it was finished.  As I am sitting here thinking about this book I still can’t put my finger on what I like so much about this book.  Usually, it has to do with the writing or the characters, but this time I feel like it was just the whole package.  This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am going to add her to my list of authors to check out later when I have more time to pick out books to read.  If you like young adult type books that I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

About The Book

At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.

But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.

Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?

About The Author

I’m a young adult author, mental health mouth, anxious agoraphobic, lover of cheese, film nerd, book bird, identical twin, and rumoured pink Power Ranger.

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Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano was a book that I surprised by how much I liked it in the end. When I started the book, it was one that I didn’t want to put down until I was at the end of the book. This isn’t a book that I would usually pick up but once again I am glad that I did because in the end I enjoyed the story and I am for sure going to check out other books by this author in the future. I enjoyed the characters and the setting of this book. I am not usually into YA books but like I said I enjoyed this book. It is one that I am sure most people would enjoy, and it is a super easy read as well.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

About The Book

John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn’t the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke’s new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they’re asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn’t care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink’s help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

Elle Cosimano

About The Author

Author of NEARLY GONE, NEARLY FOUND, HOLDING SMOKE, and THE SUFFERING TREE (Disney*Hyperion, 2017). Represented by Sarah Davies of The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

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